Leeds United: How AI values Willy Gnonto, Ethan Ampadu and Mateo Joseph's transfer worth | OneFootball

FLW examine the estimated transfer values of three of Leeds United's best players.

Leeds United made eight new additions to their squad during the summer transfer window, with the Whites looking to go one better than last season under Daniel Farke and gain promotion back to the Premier League with a talented squad of players.

With Josuha Guilavogui also joining as a free agent recently, and both Brenden Aaronson and Max Wöber returning from loan, Leeds have plenty of new faces in their 2024/25 squad after some of their best players from last season moved to the Premier League.

Farke will hope that, after losing key personnel, Leeds will still have the required depth, quality, and output in their ranks to mount another promotion push. Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Georginio Rutter, and Crysencio Summerville have all left the club as vital pieces of last year's team.

In part, that was necessary, with parachute payments halved in their second year, and reports emerging earlier in the summer that they may have to generate around £100 million in transfer fees to help balance the books, meaning that they had been in need of some sales.

Leeds have added quality and experience, but also have a fairly streamlined squad of 24 first-team players, having had a thorough pruning of the squad in many ways this summer. There were far more players in the outgoings column compared to the incomings.

The objective now, as always, this season is to gain promotion to the Premier League and there will be real disappointment if the club fail to do so this time around. However, should they fail to do so, they have some high-quality assets that could be sold next summer.

Many of the fundamental pieces of Farke's side this season won't be sticking around for a third promotion push. But just how much are they worth? Factors such as form, age, contract length, and Leeds' negotiating position from remaining in the second tier all play a part in determining what their valuation is.

The Football Transfers website has a tool named xTV (expected transfer valuation) which attempts to combine these factors and give an overall figure for what a player may be worth. We take a look at three of Leeds' brightest and best, here.

Willy Gnonto

Willy Gnonto's experience at the age of just 21 is what makes him have such a high ceiling and is why Everton made bids so frequently to try and capture his services for two summers in a row. Leeds reportedly rejected a £23 million offer from Everton in the summer, according to a report from Graham Smyth of The Yorkshire Evening Post.

It was reported during the end of the window that Leeds were not prepared to let Gnonto leave Elland Road before the summer transfer window closed, as per Give Me Sport, who believe the Whites would not sanction a sale because Farke felt like a potential promotion push could be derailed if the Italian departed.

Leeds Live added that, after it became clear that he would not be leaving last summer, he acted professionally, earned back the trust and respect of the squad members, coaches, and supporters, and has not tested Farke's warning of there being no third chance for him.

It was paramount that Leeds didn't sell themselves short in terms of quality attacking players to give them the required attacking thrust. Gnonto could be a key cog in Leeds' new-look attacking unit, as they look to rebuild this season in attack. His X-factor and match-winning capabilities are why he is one of the club's best players and biggest assets.

Even though he has penned a new contract since the close of the window, it's a near-certainty that it will be his last season with the club if they fail to gain promotion. The Italian's ceiling is so high and he should reach more of that potential this term. The silver lining is that Leeds can make a huge profit on the former FC Zürich forward, though.

Per their estimates, €21.2 million is his expected transfer value, with a range of around €15.9 million – €26.6 million.

Ethan Ampadu

Ethan Ampadu was one of the best signings in the Championship last season, having established himself as a key player after joining from Chelsea. The club-captain is also among Leeds' most valuable players both on the pitch and in terms of his value, which is why losing him to a long-term injury has been so much of a blow.

So much so, that the Welshman wore the armband on 23 occasions in 2023/24 and has become one of the key leadership figures within the Elland Road dressing room. He has also been named as permanent captain based on those performances, which is an immense achievement for someone who only recently turned 24.

Leeds signed Ampadu last summer for a fee rising to £10 million with add-ons, but he has been nothing short of outstanding and Leeds got themselves a bargain when they paid an initial fee of just £7 million which could rise to the upper limit with performance-related add-ons.

The epitome of consistency, Ampadu has predominantly been deployed at the base of midfield and become a pivotal player there. You wouldn't know that he'd played almost every game given the quality, consistency, and relentlessness of his displays.

He is now a Premier League player in all but name, and this year should be his last one as a Championship player, irrespective of whether Leeds achieve promotion at the second time of asking, but he is vital to the club's success and appears settled and happy in West Yorkshire so far.

He is the sort of player and character to build the team around in the long-term, and Leeds will hope that they are able to do that as a Premier League side. Ampadu is already arguably the club's best player and the going rate for quality midfielders at second tier level who are young enough to retain a sell-on value is comfortably north of £15 million.

Ampadu is only 24 and with a healthy contract as well, so there is no reason Leeds wouldn't want something in the region of that sort of figure or thereabouts for what is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in the league. Their estimates agree with that sort of figure, with €19.2 million their guess, but anything between €14.4 million – €24 million is the range for Ampadu.

Mateo Joseph

Mateo Joseph has quickly established himself as a key part of Leeds United’s attack under Daniel Farke. At just 21, he brings a dynamic presence to the front line, offering more than just goal-scoring ability. His hold-up play and intelligent movement make him a valuable outlet, particularly in tight spaces or when Leeds need to relieve pressure.

This is his real breakout season after failing to start in a single Championship fixture last term, but his ceiling is very high due to his unique all-round nature as a striker. Joseph's link-up play is a standout feature of his game, often dropping deeper to bring teammates into the attack and drive play forward. His physicality enables him to pin defenders and create space for others.

He’s also willing to run the channels, stretching defences and providing width when needed. While his goal-scoring record still has room for improvement, Joseph’s contribution in pressing from the front and working tirelessly off the ball cannot be understated. His energy and willingness to disrupt opposition play fit well into Farke’s intense system, with high regains a particular feature of both Leeds and Farke's ideology.

His development in these areas bodes well for the future. Though not yet the finished article, Joseph’s all-round game is improving with each match, and his ability to influence games beyond just scoring makes him a key player for Leeds' ambitions this season.

His value will only shoot up over the coming years, which is why it is so low at this moment in time, and by the end of the season it should be much higher than any AI estimation. Per their estimates, €2.6 million is his expected transfer value, with a range of around €1.9 million – €3.2 million. However, it is unlikely that Leeds would accept anything close to that figure for one of their brightest young stars.