Daniel Farke’s work in the transfer window has been nothing short of sublime since he joined Leeds United. Pretty much every addition has contributed, or added something in the hunt for promotion.
So many things can go wrong when making a signing – just ask Victor Orta. A player can get injured at any point, they can struggle with new surroundings, a manager or simply playing with different players.
But pretty much every addition he made last summer have starred. Joe Rodon, Ilia Gruev, Glen Kamara, Joel Piroe, Jaidon Anthony, Connor Roberts and Sam Byram have all been good, and have contributed.
Karl Darlow remains solid back-up without actually impressing on the pitch – and Djed Spence still did put in some good performances before his loan was cut short. But Ethan Ampadu surely tops the lot.
Ethan Ampadu wouldn’t have joined Leeds United without 49ers
There is a wise head on his young shoulders. The £7m addition, described as “exceptional” by Clinton Morrison recently, has been superb for us – starting all 38 Championship matches for Farke’s Leeds.
He’s played 43 times for Leeds and six more for Wales, and come Tuesday night, he will have clocked up the 50th match for both this season. An incredible tally, proving incredible value for money at Leeds.
But an interesting claim has arisen from Phil Hay’s latest Leeds article with The Athletic, which states just how clever Ampadu is – and not only off the pitch. He says Ampadu was unlikely to join us in 2022.
