Money can’t buy Georginio Rutter but ‘absolutely crucial’ Ethan Ampadu is Leeds United signing of the summer – Phil Hay
Ethan Ampadu is the “signing of the summer” at Leeds United because he is “absolutely crucial” to the way the team play under Daniel Farke, according to Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist told the Square Ball podcast on 30 October, after the 4-1 thrashing of Huddersfield Town two days earlier, that Georginio Rutter is proving to be the kind of star that simply can’t be bought in the Championship and a potential player of the year after the Frenchman again shone in the West Yorkshire derby.
He also highlighted the excellent value that free transfer returnee Sam Byram has proven to be, but believes it is midfielder Ampadu, the first arrival of the summer from Chelsea, who is “critical” to the Whites set up.
Hay said of Rutter (8m 45s): “He is in that class of player that money can’t buy you in the Championship. If you’re a Championship club and you don’t have Rutter, you can’t get him.
“Leeds have got him by virtue of the fact that they spent a lot of money on him when they were in the Premier League, but he should be a massive asset right the way through, and already I think you’re looking at potential player of the year for Leeds, absolutely.”
Then on Ampadu he added: “I think he’s been the best signing of the summer. Byram pushes him close because he’s a free transfer and has done a good job of solving that position that Leeds made heavy weather of solving time and time again, he’s been good at left-back and he’s made a difference to the team.
“But I do think by a distance Ampadu has been the most consistent and impressive midfielder so far, and he just seems to me to be absolutely crucial in the structure of Farke’s team.
“I don’t think, minus someone like Ampadu, you’re getting anything like the possession you have and the positions you have for your attacking players to blossom and play how they want to play. He’s been a critical cog in the machine.”
Strength
Clearly Leeds United aren’t perfect, as evidenced by the fact that they continue to walk into the odd deflating defeat and there are two teams some way ahead of them in the table.
But in light of the disarray that the club experienced over the summer following relegation it should probably come as some relief that the season is turning out as it is.
Rutter’s start to life at Elland Road was miserable but without it he surely wouldn’t even be in this division and performing as well as he is.
For the club-record signing it may have been a blessing in disguise to end up going down as he is sure to be able to operate with far more confidence back in the Premier League after this if the Whites are successful in returning.
He may already have been in the squad but Leeds United were in major need of reinforcements during the summer as one after another of last year’s players departed to leave them undermanned.
Ampadu came in for £7million [BBC Sport, 19 July] to stem the flow towards the exit door and has been excellent, while Byram has been more up and down, but for no fee and with fears that he would hardly be able to play it has still proven a very positive deal.
Farke has plenty of players in form right now, with Crysencio Summerville surely running Rutter close as the outright star at the moment, and Joe Rodon arguably as crucial an arrival as Ampadu, putting the club in a strong place to land at least a play-off spot.
But there is a very long way to go still and the drop off from the starting XI to the back up options looks significant at the moment so everything is far from secure yet.
In other Leeds United news, a BBC pundit was “massively” surprised about one of the key men who is stuck in an “unfortunate position”.