Leeds United have signed some serious gems in previous transfer windows, but have also missed out on a lot of quality players.
The club has boasted some of the best players in England over the past few seasons, and have made huge profits off the talent from their academy. Leeds have really benefited from some great scouting and recruitment policies. Under Victor Orta, the club made some shrewd signings including Sam Greenwood, Pascal Struijk and Crysencio Summerville. Struijk joined from Ajax on a free in 2018 and is now Leeds United club captain. Summerville joined for a small fee in 2020 and he recently joined West Ham in the Premier League for a reported £25million.
Archie Gray, Charlie Cresswell and Kalvin Phillips are also academy graduates the club have sold for huge profits. Gray and Phillips alone brought in over £80million in transfer fees.
QUIZ: Can you name the Leeds game these 10 goal celebrations are from?
How Leeds United missed out on world class youngster
Credit: Imago Images
Leeds have also missed out on huge potential stars. In 2020, Josko Gvardiol revealed that Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United pushed to sign him, but he ultimately chose to go to Germany as he felt England was not an ideal place to develop. Gvardiol joined Manchester City for £77 million last year. And now, it looks like the club squandered another chance to snap up a star player. Leeds have also been linked with Manchester City star James McAtee.
It has been revealed that in 2022, Leeds United were one of the teams interested in signing Celtic youngster Ben Doak. The teenager eventually joined Liverpool who paid a compensation fee of £600k. The Athletic revealed that Leeds offered better terms than the Reds, but Doak chose the Premier League giants. Former Scotland manager Craig Levein tipped him to be a world class player in the future:
“It’s maybe a bit early to say this but this kid could be a world class player. And I think Steve (Clarke) knows that as well. When you have pace like that, there are very few defenders who when you square them up one v one, they can deal with you.
“He’s proven that this evening, even the top defenders in the world – he can go past them at a whim.
“Just imagine when he’s had three or four years, he’ll be even quicker and will have more confidence.
“He will have ten times more confidence then too.”
Ben Doak is on loan at Middlesbrough, and has one goal and three assists in the Championship this season.
