Ethan Ampadu agrees new Leeds United deal as contract length revealed — Leeds Live 4/6/26

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The Leeds United captain is staying on at Elland Road in what is a hugely important first summer step

Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter

Club captain Ethan Ampadu has penned a four-year contract extension at Leeds United, keeping him at the club until 2030.

The midfielder arrived from Chelsea for £7m in 2023 and has become an integral part of Daniel Farke's project at Elland Road, with the manager often describing him as his "most important player".

His contract was due to expire next summer but by agreeing new terms, Leeds have shut down the danger of rival clubs coming in with offers. A renewal for Ampadu was one of the main objectives for the board this off-season.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, chairman Paraag Marathe shared his delight with getting the deal over the line. He said: "Ethan was so instrumental for a whole year. He's such a captain on and off the pitch. Everything he does is just true leadership.

"He is almost like one of us on the pitch, but he's also one of the guys. I - we all - thought it was like such an important first step for this upcoming window."

Ampadu, who has played 126 games for Leeds, won player's player and club player of the season at the end-of-season awards, underlining his value to teammates and beyond.

His on-pitch demeanour in both dictating play and directing teammates was vital to Leeds' Championship title promotion in 2025 and their survival this season.

Leeds, meanwhile, have other contract decisions to make this summer. Karl Darlow sees his deal expire at the end of this month, while Pascal Struijk has a year left on his contract, having been the subject of at least one transfer approach last summer.

Lukas Nmecha, Joel Piroe, Ilia Gruev and Brenden Aaronson also have just over 12 months left on their contracts, while Alex Cairns, Illan Meslier and Sam Byram see their deals expire in July.

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