Leeds United players lined up during their penalty shootout against Birmingham City.
(Credit: Imago)
Leeds United sit 15th in the Premier League at the moment, holding a six-point cushion over the bottom three, and there’s a growing feeling around the club that they have enough to secure survival this season.
Behind the scenes, confidence is quietly building that they’ll see the job through, with early groundwork already being done ahead of the summer transfer window to strengthen the squad.
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A new goalkeeper is expected to be high on the priority list, and there’s also strong interest in positioning themselves for a serious push to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.
That said, there are key contract matters to resolve first. Leeds face some important decisions in the coming months and risk losing one of their standout performers, Ethan Ampadu, if improved terms aren’t agreed before the summer.
Ethan Ampadu is massively underpaid at Leeds United
Ampadu is the club captain and probably the first name on the team sheet when fit and available to play. In fact, Daniel Farke has often rushed him back from injuries to get him into the lineup.
However, he is nowhere close to being one of the top earners at Leeds, despite being the lynchpin and captain of the team.
The Welshman is still on the contract that he signed when he arrived at Leeds in the summer of 2023, and has not seen his wages go up.
He is on a deal worth a basic wage of £40,000 per week, which is the same as Joel Piroe and Wilfried Gnonto earn at Leeds despite being bit-part players.
Several players in the squad earn more than Ampadu, but are nowhere close to his importance to the team.
His current contract also runs out at the end of next season, and Leeds are in talks with his representatives over a new deal.
However, no agreement is in place, and several Premier League clubs are ready to tempt him away from Elland Road if a new contract is not ready by next summer.
49ers can’t afford to lose him
Ampadu is the club captain and Farke’s most key lieutenant on the pitch. His presence in the middle of the park brings a calming influence on the team.
The Leeds skipper is also attracting the attention and praise of pundits with his consistency for Leeds in the Premier League this season.
However, he remains massively underpaid, and a new deal has been long overdue. He has been excellent since the day he arrived, and it’s astounding that Leeds are yet to sort out a new deal for him.
Breakdown of matches and minutes played across all competitions
Competition Matches Minutes
Premier League 24 2,133′
FA Cup 2 165′
Total 26 2,298′
They offered Daniel James a new contract earlier in the season, and that has not worked out well for them so far.
Ampadu deserved a new deal for his Welsh teammate, and no one would have argued if Leeds made his contract a priority.
A player of his quality will have several takers in the summer if a new contract is not sorted out from now until the end of the season.