In comparison to this time last season, Elland Road has undergone a significant transformation.

Completing this transfer in the summer has proved essential to Leeds’s ascent to promotion.

Many Leeds United fans still harbour negative feelings towards the club after their relegation to the Championship and widespread disillusionment with the way the team was being operated. Rather than the triumphant comeback everyone had dreamed of, it appeared that their stint back in the top flight would have only lasted three years.

The summer brought about a lot of changes at the club, which made sure that the drop into the Championship wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The Whites are back on track to make the Premier League thanks to new ownership, a new management, and a tonne of new recruits.
Championship Table (As it stands March 25th)
Team P GD Pts
1 Leeds United 38 42 82
2 Leicester City 37 41 82
3 Ipswich Town 38 31 81
4 Southampton 36 26 73
5 West Brom 38 23 66
6 Norwich City 38 15 61
7 Hull City 37 7 58
8 Coventry City 37 16 57

Every purchase Daniel Farke made during the summer transfer window has turned out to be a profitable venture. No matter how much or how little any of them has contributed, they have all had varied degrees of favourable effects.

Not only is this particular signing excellent, but his consistency has made him an invaluable addition to the squad. Ethan Ampadu is that man, and Leeds made a smart move by acquiring him given the interest shown by other teams in him.

Leeds won battle with Serie A and Bundesliga teams to get Ethan Ampadu

The Welsh international had been with Chelsea since he was sixteen years old when he joined them from Exeter City in 2017. He had had difficulty breaking into the first squad there and had been loaned out to football league teams as well as teams throughout Europe. These trips around the continent garnered notice, particularly his final two loan stints in Italy with Venezia and Spezia.

Two mid-table sides in the premier division of Italian football expressed interest in signing Ampadu in the summer, according to Phil Hay of The Athletic. Because of his agency’s strong relationships with Didi Hamann, a former midfielder for Liverpool, there was also interest from Germany’s top league.

Hay claims that while some Premier League teams made speculative approaches for the 23-year-old, the Championship was receiving the most of the interest.

Because of their previous owners, according to one source who spoke with The Athletic, Ampadu would not have accepted a bid from the team if they had approached him the previous season. They did, however, commend the 49ers enterprise—the club’s new owners—for appointing the appropriate individuals to lead it.

Carlo Cudicini, the former Chelsea custodian and current loans manager, believed that Ampadu would benefit most from a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge, and Hay went on to say that Chelsea had initially agreed that a £10 million sum would be sufficient for them to let him go.According to The Athletic, Leeds paid £7 million for him plus a further £3 million.

Leeds got Ethan Ampadu for a great deal

A major contributing factor to the Welshman’s success has been his adaptability. Ampadu was used as a holding midfielder for the majority of the season, but he had to return to the centre of defence due to injuries; he performed admirably in both situations.

Players like Ampadu and Archie Grey, who have had to exhibit comparable acts of positional flexibility to keep this Leeds squad going, are the reason why Farke now possesses such a great deal of tactical versatility. For a player of that calibre, £10 million is an incredible value.

Leeds United could join Brentford and Brighton in Celtic star race

If Leeds are promoted back to the Premier League, they might show interest in O’Riley once more.

Given his current form, they will most likely have to pay Chelsea those add-ons, but even if Leeds succeed in returning to the top division at their first attempt, it won’t matter. It is highly likely that the new owners won’t, and they deserve a great deal of respect for bringing in their new star.