Leeds United transfer winners and losers with legacy in smoke and story re-write possible - YEP 4/9/23

The summer 2023 transfer window is gone but will never be forgotten at Leeds United.

By Graham Smyth

Relegation exit clauses played merry hell in the first half of the window and then proved a sting in the tail, Leeds losing Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra despite believing that their clauses had expired. Both of those players ended up at Bournemouth.

Leeds negotiated a fee in excess of the one they would have earned for Adams had he gone prior to his clause expiry date, whereas the threat of Sinisterra's situation becoming a legal case led to a loan swap. The Colombian winger went to the Cherries, who hold an option to buy if Leeds don't go up, and Jaidon Anthony came back the other way.

It was a characteristically dramatic end to a crazy, relentless window, even the deadline itself not bringing a close to the movement, but it is now mercifully over. Here's the YEP take on the winners and losers this summer.

Winners

Daniel Farke

The Leeds manager kept his head when all about him, players included, appeared to be losing theirs. He made his non-negotiables plain in the Willy Gnonto situation, held firm and Leeds backed him by resisting bids for the Italian winger. And amid the transfer chaos, Farke has managed to put his mark on the squad and introduce a style of football that will entertain Whites fans this season. The Ipswich game was light at the end of the tunnel and it felt deserved for Farke, a much-needed unifying figure at Elland Road.

Crysencio Summerville

Whose transfer window bingo card had Summerville being the one to keep his head down, sticking to the task at hand and resisting the urge to throw the toys out and demand a move? There was interest and there were bids but there was never any sense that Summerville was about to down tools to make it happen. The Dutch winger should have the ability to tear up the Championship and either get back to the Premier League with Leeds or through a deserved move at a later date.

Archie Gray

The 17-year-old held the fort, alongside Ethan Ampadu, while Leeds attempted to bring in the central midfield cavalry. Despite his inexperience, Gray has more than coped with the rigours of the Championship in the season's early stages and earned his spot in the team. The arrival of Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev this week will help take some of the pressure off Gray's young shoulders.

Daniel James

The Welsh winger's attitude and willingness to come back to Leeds and attempt to fix a mess he didn't create is in stark contrast to the approach of others who had a direct hand in the relegation. What's more, James was considered a spare part this time last year at Leeds. There's a real opportunity for him to do some damage in the second tier and re-write a difficult Elland Road story.

Gretar Steinsson and Nick Hammond

Whisper it, but the incoming recruitment at Leeds has a solid, sensible look to it. Signings like Ethan Ampadu. Joel Piroe, Sam Byram and Djed Spence are somewhat low risk because of their experience or pedigree. Piroe is a proven Championship goalscorer. No one will be clapping anyone on the back until this window can be judged against a season of results but given the variables, the difficulties posed by enforced exits and the spectre of profit and sustainability, it could have been a lot worse.

Losers

The wantaways

They may have got what they wanted in terms of moves and top league status so perhaps can consider themselves winners, but they have lost any crumbs of remaining good will among Leeds supporters. The road back to Elland Road favour is a long, long one in a small number of cases. In other cases the road back has been obliterated entirely. There will be no future at Leeds for some of those who went out the door this summer.

Willy Gnonto

Gnonto is already walking the path of redemption and he could be a genuine star for Leeds in the Championship, so the narrative may soon change entirely but the fact remains that the teenager took on his club and his manager and lost. There was no summer move, Farke and Leeds did not bend and Gnonto, to his credit, apologised and decided to get on with it. This window will be a lesson learned for him and, hopefully for his sake, anyone who was offering him advice as he took such drastic steps.

The left-back campaign

An attempt to coax Leicester City into loaning Luke Thomas was evidence enough that Leeds considered the left-back area one they could strengthen but ultimately they did not. Farke says he is content with Junior Firpo, Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton as his options there but for everyone going into the window praying for a real life left-back arrival it was disappointment.

Lads in limbo

There was some talk of a possible loan move for Lewis Bate to Fleetwood Town and it was the same story with Darko Gyabi, but nothing materialised before the deadline and the midfielders will have to get their football with Leeds Under 21s as they attempt to break into Farke's plans. Gruev and Kamara arriving have made match minutes unlikely for both youngsters. Bate in particular has his work cut out, given he is not currently in the match-day squad.