Garry Monk urges Leeds United board to avoid future transfer deadline day rushes

Leeds United manager Garry Monk has told the club's board to smarten up their act in future transfer windows to ensure he secures deals for his chosen targets. The Whites signed three players in the January window, with two of those coming in the final eight hours of deadline day.

Alfonso Pedraza joined from Villarreal until the end of the season with a view to a permanent deal, before Modou Barrow moved from Premier League side Swansea City to Elland Road for the remainder of the campaign. Monk had initially appeared downbeat when questioned on new additions after the FA Cup loss at Sutton United, with the extension of Pablo Hernandez's deal being the only one completed by the promotion hopefuls at the time.

The delay in securing the signings of Pedraza and Barrow meant neither player were available to Leeds for the 2-1 Championship win at Blackburn Rovers. The West Yorkshire club have agreed to sign Pontus Jansson on a permanent deal when his loan expires at the end of the campaign, but the acquisition is unlikely to improve Monk's humour.

Failure to lure Ashley Fletcher on loan from West Ham United also leaves Leeds short in attacking areas, and the ex-Swansea coach was left to reflect on a far from ideal January window where their ponderous approach has left them wanting. "They're going to give us extra options, which we need, and they're like-minded to the group I already have – very young and coming here with something to prove," he said, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post. "They're up-and-coming and they've got quality as well.

"Of course there are other things you'd like to do as a manager but this is the situation we find ourselves in. I've already spoken to the club and they know as well as me that I don't particularly like to do business on the last day of a transfer window. I'd rather it be a bit better planned and give us a bit more time but that happens for various reasons. I'm very happy with the two we've brought in.

The Leeds boss added: "We go as we are. There are other things you'd love to do but it's not as easy as that. It's not always straightforward. We go with what we have and I'm very confident in this group. We've been finding ways all season to cope with situations. The most important thing when the window opened was that we came out of it stronger than when we went in and we've done that."