Captain's Long-Term Commitment
Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu signs crucial four-year deal, anchoring club's future until 2030
Anonymous
Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe announced that captain Ethan Ampadu has agreed a new four-year contract, extending his stay at Elland Road through 2030. Marathe framed the renewal as a crucial first step for the club this summer, arguing that Ampadu’s leadership on and off the pitch makes him a cornerstone as Leeds looks to keep the squad’s core together. The decision also reduces the risk of rival clubs making bids for the Welsh midfielder after his previous deal neared expiry. Ampadu, signed by Daniel Farke in 2023, has developed into a reliable multi-role starter and a key figure in Leeds’ Premier League campaign, including playing the most league minutes and helping secure survival. Leeds still faces other contract decisions, with players such as Karl Darlow and Pascal Struijk also approaching key deal moments, while attention remains on where Farke’s own future will land.
Key Points
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Marathe made the news personally at a supporters’ event, saying to Sky Sports: “It’s rare as a club that you are able to break your own news. I’ll do that right now… the ink is dry and it’s done.”
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Leeds’ renewal is tied to Ampadu’s specific top-flight workload: during the 2025-26 Premier League season he made 35 league appearances and played more than 3,000 minutes.
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Contract-talk context: his deal was due to run out in 2027 (with an option for a further year), and Marathe described the extension as “crossed and i’s dotted, it’s all done,” after a roundtable in London.
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Beyond survival, Ampadu’s wider achievements include captaining Farke’s side to the Championship title in 2025, and he has also undergone serious setbacks—he “suffer[ed] a pair of serious knee injuries in his second campaign.” He also won both the Players’ Player of the Year and Player of the Year awards at Elland Road, while Farke has repeatedly called him the club’s “most important player.”
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While Ampadu’s future is settled, Farke’s remarks remain a key subplot: after his contract talks, Farke said, “Once I signed the contract three years ago… my mission is fulfilled… Right now, it’s important we sit together in a trustful atmosphere and speak about new goals.” Marathe added he “hopes and expects” Farke will stay beyond the 2027 expiry, with a new deal “to come at the right moment.”
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