Chelsea have not been afraid to do business with some of their biggest rivals in recent transfer windows.
It was 2023 when Chelsea allowed Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic to join Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City respectively.
Havertz has become Arsenal’s first-choice striker, while Kovacic was able to win the Premier League title with City last season. However, things have not quite worked out for Mount at United. Mount’s transfer value has plummeted since joining the Red Devils after picking up some serious injuries.
Chelsea also did business with Leeds United in the summer of 2023 — another one of their rivals — selling Ethan Ampadu to them in a £7m deal.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Ethan Ampadu has found home at Leeds
During his time at Chelsea, Ampadu had several loan spells, making it difficult for him to settle in one place.
Leeds have finally given him that stability, though, and the defensive midfielder has now described Elland Road as his “home”.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Ampadu said: “I feel like I’ve found a home, and hopefully I can show that in performances and in the way I am as a person. I feel like those things I’ve experienced and lived through, I’ve had to mature quite early.
“I’ve lived in a few different places, experienced different cultures and see how people conduct themselves in those professional environments. Being trusted at 15 to play and perform to get results, I guess that’s one way I’ve had to mature. But also just being around people who are older than me for a large part of my development plays a part in it as well.
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“I feel like I can come across as mature because of how I’ve been raised, but I’m sure if you were to ask a few of the boys around the training ground, they’ll probably still say I’m 24.”
Ampadu, who has spent time both in Chelsea’s first team and academy, could have to face his former club next season.
Leeds are currently top of the Championship table so could win automatic promotion to the Premier League, where they would have to face Enzo Maresca‘s side.
Maresca is set to be in charge of Chelsea during the 2025/26 campaign no matter what happens in the current one.
Photo by Harry Murphy - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by Harry Murphy – Danehouse/Getty Images
How Leeds felt when they signed Ethan Ampadu from Chelsea
Ampadu can play as a defensive midfielder or central defender, but Chelsea were not exactly light in those positions when they sold Ampadu.
Surplus to requirements, they were happy to let him go. As for the club who bought him, Leeds felt that Ampadu was great business at £7m.
Given his versatility, experience and leadership, they are probably not wrong. While he only joined them a couple of years ago, the Wales international is already club captain.