10 most expensive Leeds signings of all time: From Georgino Rutter to the player Marcelo Bielsa really didn’t want
Leeds spent a lot of money on new players in the summer transfer window ahead of the 2025-26 season, but only one made it into their list of 10 most expensive signings.
Daniel Farke and his recruitment team went for quantity rather than splashing huge sums on individual players. At the time of writing, it seems to be paying off.
Leeds arguably know better than most English clubs that huge transfer fees don’t make for successful signings.
As you’ll see below, the club’s list of top 10 most expensive transfers is an interesting mix of fan favourites and undeniable flops.
For the sake of accuracy, this list is based on the initial reported fees with no add-ons considered.
=10. Noah Okafor (£18m)
Noah Okafor was Leeds’ most expensive summer signing ahead of the 2025-26 season, at least based on the reported initial fee.
Leeds agreed to pay AC Milan £18m for his services.
Okafor was only 25 years old when he signed, but he had played two seasons in Serie A and was already a regular for Switzerland.
The fee paid for him seems more than reasonable considering these facts, and Okafor is already looking like he’ll be an important part of the Leeds team.
=10. Diego Llorente (£18m)
Diego Llorente must surely be labelled as the first flop on this list.
Llorente arrived from Real Sociedad with a lot of expectation on his shoulders in 2020. This was a Spanish international who had played at Real Madrid.
Sadly, a mixture of injuries and inconsistent performances meant he only made 53 appearances for Leeds. He was loaned out to Roma before being sold to Real Betis for around £2.5m in 2024.
=10. Rio Ferdinand (£18m)
Rio Ferdinand became the world’s most expensive defender when he signed for Leeds in November 2000. At £18m, he turned out to be a great investment for Leeds.
Ferdinand was part of the Leeds side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in the 2000-01 season. He’d only spent one more season at Elland Road before being sold to Manchester United for £29m.
That fee made Leeds an £11m profit when they were in dire straits financially, and it made Ferdinand the world’s most expensive defender for a second time.
7. Jean-Kevin Augustin (£18.4m)
The Jean-Kevin Augustin transfer saga is perhaps one of the most embarrassing goofs by a Premier League club in modern history.
Augustin played just 48 minutes across three appearances for Leeds, while on loan at Elland Road from RB Leipzig.
Leeds had an obligation to buy Augustin for £18.4million if they were promoted to the Premier League, but Marcelo Bielsa didn’t want to sign him.
Leeds believed this obligation was void because they were technically promoted after his loan deal expired. This was the 2020-21 season, which was extended due to Covid-19.
RB Leipzig argued that the obligation still stood. It went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where Leeds were ordered to pay the transfer fee.
Before all this was settled, Augustin went back to RB Leipzig, was released and then signed for FC Nantes.
So, Leeds had to pay £18.4m for a player who:
- played 48 minutes for them on loan
- never officially signed for them
- therefore couldn’t be sold and didn’t bring in any transfer fee.
6. Tyler Adams
United States international Tyler Adams signed for Leeds from RB Leipzig in July 2022 for £20million. He played one season for Leeds, and was one of the better players despite the team getting relegated.
Adams pushed hard to leave Elland Road that summer and things got ugly. It was a typical struggle between a player who wanted to leave and a club that potentially wanted to keep him.
Adams eventually got his way. He was sold to Bournemouth for £20million.
5. Luis Sinisterra (£21m)
When Luis Sinisterra was signed from Feyenoord for £21m in 2022, he was seen as a potential replacement for Raphinha.
Although he had his moments, injuries and a weakened Leeds team meant the Colombian couldn’t hit these heavy heights.
Leeds were relegated in Sinisterra’s first season at Leeds. That summer, he was loaned to Bournemouth, who had an option to buy him the next summer. They took that option, signing him for £21m, ensuring Leeds didn’t make a loss on this transfer.
4. Brenden Aaronson (£24.7m)
Brenden Aaronsen is another big-money signing who arrived with huge expectations that he has so far failed to meet.
Leeds paid RB Salzburg £24.7m for the US international in the summer of 2022. He did OK for them in the Championship, but doesn’t look like he’s going to cause much of a threat in the Premier League.
He’s still at Leeds, so there’s time to prove people wrong. Daniel Farke seems willing to give him a chance, although he has mostly appeared from the substitutes’ bench so far.
To be fair, we can say the jury’s still out on this signing.
3. Daniel James (£25m)
Daniel James moved from Manchester United to Leeds for £25m back in 2021.
He’s still at Elland Road and is somewhat of a fans favourite, although others believe he has failed to hit the consistent form expected of a £25m signing.
James is another Leeds player who did fine in the Championship, but is yet to prove he should be a regular starter in the Premier League. Considering he’s Leeds’ third most expensive signing of all time, that’s not great.
2. Rodrigo Moreno (£26m)
Rodrigo was another big-name player signed ahead of the 2020-21 season with the aim of helping Leeds compete in the Premier League.
| Season | Appearances | Goals |
| 2020-21 | 28 | 7 |
| 2021-22 | 34 | 6 |
| 2022-23 | 35 | 15 |
It took a couple of seasons for him to find his feet in England. He was the top scorer with 15 goals in 2022-23, but Leeds were relegated that season, and a release clause in his contract saw him sold to the Saudi League for roughly £3m.
1. Georgino Rutter (£35m)
Georginio Rutter became Leeds’ record signing when he moved from Hoffenheim in January 2023.
He scored zero goals in 13 appearances in the Premier League as Leeds were relegated.
In his only full season at Elland Road, he scored seven goals and registered 15 assists in the Championship. That was enough to persuade Brighton to meet the £40m release clause in his contract, allowing Leeds to sell Rutter at a profit.
Rutter only scored five goals for Brighton in the 2024-25 season, although those at the Amex Stadium remain confident that he’ll be able to prove himself in the Premier League.
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