Leeds United have been a side who have conducted superb business in the transfer market over the last couple of years, enabling them to achieve the heights they have this season.
Wilfried Gnonto is a player who arrived as an unknown, costing just £4.5m from Swiss side FC Zurich in the summer of 2022, a fee that now looks to be a bargain given his rise at Elland Road.
The Italian winger has featured over 100 times for the Whites since his move, scoring 18 times and catching the eye with his blistering pace and dribbling within the final third.
Ethan Ampadu was another key signing for the club, joining for just £7m in the summer of 2023, featuring in every Championship game last season, highlighting his importance to Daniel Farke.
However, despite dropping into the second tier, the club have made some serious money in offloading players, which has massively contributed to their strong financial standing.
Leeds’ big-money sales in the Championship
After the failure to secure promotion last season, it was always inevitable that the first team was always going to be ransacked with numerous high-profile players departing Elland Road.
Archie Gray departed his boyhood club in a £40m move to join Tottenham Hotspur, highlighting his rapid rise despite his tender teenage years – with all credit going to the club’s academy for his development.
The youngster only made 52 appearances during his time in the first-team in Yorkshire, but quickly managed to cement his place in Farke’s side, playing a huge role in their success during 2023/24.
Georginio Rutter was another big-money departure from the Whites during the summer, leaving for Brighton in a £40m deal which was a club-record move for the Seagulls.
It came off the back of a sensational year for the Frenchman which saw him net eight goals and 16 assists, the best season of his professional career, in what would prove to be his final year at the club.
The aforementioned pair weren’t the only big-money departures from the squad during the summer of 2024, with the hierarchy making the right call in allowing him to leave.
The player who Leeds struck gold offloading
After joining the club in a £21m deal back in the summer of 2022, Luis Sinisterra was always going to face a difficult task in replacing Raphinha after his own move to Barcelona in the same window.
The Colombian would manage to contribute with seven goals in his only full campaign at the club, but it wasn’t enough to secure survival, with Leeds still yet to return to the top flight since.
He spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, before the Cherries decided to make his temporary stint permanent – forking out £20m for his signature, with the Whites only losing £1m on their investment.
Farke commented on Sinisterra during his first weeks at the helm in Yorkshire, dubbing the Colombian international as “outstanding” before his departure to join the South Coast outfit.
However, the decision to sell him to Andoni Iraola’s men was undoubtedly the right one a couple of months on, given his lack of impact at the Vitality despite their success in the Premier League.
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Luis Sinisterra’s stats for Bournemouth in the PL (2024/25) |
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|---|---|
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Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
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Games played |
9 |
|
Minutes played |
206 |
|
Pass accuracy |
84% |
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Chances created |
3.9 |
|
Dribble success |
50% |
|
Dispossessed |
1.4 |
|
Duels won |
41% |
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Stats via FotMob |
|
He’s only featured 10 times across all competitions in 2024/25, with injuries preventing his progress away from Elland Road – with his unfortunate circumstances showcasing the club did the right thing in offloading him.
As a result of his lay-off, the 25-year-old has seen a drop in his market value, now valued at just £13m by Football Transfers, with Leeds hitting the jackpot with his sale.
All things considered, Sinisterra was a valuable member of the first-team squad during his time at Elland Road, but after relegation, losing key players appears to be a blessing in this case, preventing them from losing a huge sum of money.
Such funds could allow Farke to dip into the market in the summer to strengthen his side, potentially setting them up for Premier League football should they achieve promotion in the next few months.
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