Bittersweet Leeds United reality laid bare ahead of Ethan Ampadu transfer and 'closest friend' reunion - YEP 18/7/23

Leeds United are set to announce the signing of Chelsea midfielder Ethan Ampadu on a permanent deal which could have a knock-on effect for one particular member of the Whites' 2022/23 Premier League squad.

By Joe Donnohue

Ampadu's arrival at Elland Road for a fee in the region of £7 million, plus performance-related add-ons, will see the Welsh international become the club's first senior signing of the summer transfer window.

With just under three weeks until the Whites' opening game of the season against Cardiff City, supporters had begun to grow concerned with the lack of incoming transfer activity in addition to the tranche of first-team players departing on loan.

That was until news broke of 'advanced talks' between Ampadu's representatives and Leeds on Monday, after a fee had been agreed between the two clubs.

The 44-cap Wales international is widely expected to be deployed at the base of Daniel Farke's midfield this coming season, despite extensive experience in central defence, too. Ampadu's outings at the heart of defence have predominantly been as part of a three-man back-line, an increasingly specialised role which despite positional similarities, is somewhat different to a centre-back's function in a more conventional back four.

Ampadu's own preference is understood to be in midfield where he operates for Wales and has done previously for loan side Venezia.

Consequently, Leeds supporters on Monday were left asking the question: where does Ampadu's signing leave highly-regarded USMNT captain Tyler Adams?

Adams has been out for a number of months following hamstring surgery back in March and missed last season's run-in which upon its conclusion saw the Whites relegated. His tireless performances as the team's midfield anchor drew plaudits from pundits and fans across the league before heading off to fulfil a similar function with the United States at the World Cup.

Adams' injury left Leeds exposed in that position with ill-fitting or rarely-available options to replace him, which in part contributed to the club's Premier League demise.

As luck would have it, Ampadu and Adams struck up a close relationship during their shared stint at RB Leipzig during the 2019/20 campaign. Ampadu was sent to Germany on a season-long loan, but found it difficult to break into the side on a regular basis and despite making 24 appearances between them that year, never shared the pitch together.

Nevertheless, Ampadu admitted in a 2020 interview with The Athletic, that Adams had become 'one of his closest friends', after rooming with the fellow English-speaker on away trips.

“Obviously when I first joined, his [Adams'] English helped us get to know each other. We’ve bounced off each other all year. He’s helped me settle in. We’ve not actually played together much because he had an injury and then I had one," Ampadu said of Leeds' talismanic defensive midfielder.

Soon, they could be competing for the same shirt.

Signing a player with Ampadu's skillset, who will arrive having been given playing time assurances, asks the question whether there can be room in a starting line-up for both Adams and the Wales international.

The 24-year-old is expected to be the subject of domestic and European interest this summer, providing he has recovered from his hamstring issue, and could be sold as a result of Leeds' relegation. At the very least, United's Ampadu acquisition is a pre-emptive move to ensure the same fate does not befall the team should Adams move late in the window, leaving the squad lacking a tailormade replacement.

Having recently been named United States captain, it is difficult to envisage Adams remaining at Elland Road in the second tier while the vast majority of his international teammates feature in European competition, representing clubs across the continent's top five leagues.

The midfielder has spoken publicly about Leeds' demotion, suggesting he is hopeful the club are in a position to bounce back at the first time of asking, but an iron-clad admission that he will remain was, quite understandably, not volunteered. Adams remains a popular figure in LS11, one 49ers Enterprises are keen to keep hold of and has been mooted as a potential successor to skipper Liam Cooper on the back of performances last season.

The American is yet to be pictured in pre-season training, however, and is not believed to have played a part in the behind-closed-doors friendly win over Barnsley last weekend, in which Austrian international Max Wober wore the armband. Adams is expected to be involved towards the end of pre-season, which could of course play into Leeds' hands in the transfer window and put a little hesitation in the minds of would-be suitors.

If Ampadu's arrival proves to be the insurance policy which sanctions a reluctant Adams farewell, it will be a bittersweet sensation for fans of the club. As one, undoubtedly talented, experienced international signs, another whose popularity reached peak levels during a trying campaign, could leave Elland Road with unfinished business.