Leeds United signed nine players over the 2023/24 summer transfer window with varying degrees of success – here is how we rate every summer signing’s season so far.
The Championship season got off to a rocky start for Leeds with just one win in their first five league fixtures. Although the club’s fortunes seemed to be turning before the international break with five wins and one draw in their last six games making them one of the most in-form teams in the league.
Daniel Farke has definitely turned things around at Elland Road and will no doubt have been helped by the transfer window now being shut.
There was lots of movement out of Leeds as well, with 16 players being shipped out over the summer, either on a permanent transfer or a loan move.
We have rated, out of 10, how well the new Leeds United signings have performed so far this season in both the Championship and the Carabao Cup.
Leeds United 2023/24 summer transfer signings ratings so far
Jaidon Anthony
Jaidon Anthony was signed by Leeds on September 1st 2023. The winger signed on a last-minute loan from Premier League side Bournemouth following Leeds winger Luis Sinisterra heading on loan to the Cherries.
The 23 year-old has featured six times in the Championship, but has only started in one of these matches. He has managed one goal in these matches. Anthony has showed signs of promise but there is definitely room for improvement. With him signing on transfer deadline day, he will no doubt be hoping for more game time after the international break.
Rating: 6.5/10
Karl Darlow
Karl Darlow signed from Premier League side Newcastle United on July 30th 2023. The 33-year-old has been signed as cover for current number one goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Signing good experienced cover for such a cheap price was definitely a good deal.
Darlow has not played in the Championship but he has made two appearances in the Carabao Cup. He put in a decent performance in the 2-1 win over Shrewsbury, but failed to save a single penalty in the 10-9 penalty shootout loss to Salford City in the next round.
Rating: 6/10
Djed Spence
Djed Spence signed for Leeds on the 30th August 2023. He arrived on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and his loan will see him at the club until the end of the 2023/24 season. So far, we have only seen the right-back player nine minutes for Leeds at the start of September. He featured in the Championship draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
Sadly, Spence then picked up a serious knee ligament injury. The good news is that Farke shared that the player is still on track to return in November.
Rating: 5/10
Glen Kamara
Glen Kamara is another who signed late in the summer transfer window. Leeds bought Glen Kamara on the 31st August for around £6million from Scottish Premiership side Rangers. The central midfielder has made five appearances so far for the club. All of these have come in the Championship.
The 27 year-old managed to pick up one assist so far and has started three out of the last four games for Farke. His first two appearances only saw him on the pitch for nine minutes but it looks like Kamara is starting to become a more integral player at Leeds.
Rating: 7/10
Ilia Gruev
It has not been the best of starts for defensive midfielder Ilia Gruev since he signed on the 31st of August for a fee of around £4million. The 23 year-old joined from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen and looked an exciting signing. He has managed three appearances for Leeds, but has only featured for one minute in each match.
Perhaps Gruev is one for the future but he would have probably expected more game time under his belt in the six matches that he has been available.
Rating: 4/10
Joel Piroe
Leeds managed to sign Joel Piroe from fellow Championship side Swansea City on the 24th of August for a fee around £10million. Piroe has started in eight games for Leeds in the Championship so far this season, scoring five goals. This is a very good tally and so far it looks like the forward, who can also play as an attacking midfielder, is going to be key to helping Leeds battle for promotion this season.
Hopefully he can continue scoring quite consistently for the club. He has been scoring, but arguably some other parts of his game have been inconsistent. This will feel like a minor issue for Farke if he can hit a good goal tally this season.
Rating: 7/10
Joe Rodon
Like Spence, Joe Rodon signed on loan from Tottenham this summer. The Welsh international joined Leeds on the 10th of August 2023. The centre-back is a physical defender, which is exactly what fans of the club like. He has featured eight times for Leeds this season and the club remain undefeated in the games he has played in.
Rodon has definitely been getting even better week-on-week and his last performance against Bristol City emphasised his qualities, but his red card against Hull City slightly lowers his rating for the season so far.
Rating: 7/10
Sam Byram
There is no doubting that signing Sam Byram on a free transfer this summer has arguably been one of Leeds’ best transfers this season. They signed the full-back from Norwich City and he has played 10 games under Daniel Farke in the Championship, scoring one goal and also assisting one as well.
Byram has had some top performances, and has stood out above the rest in games so far for Leeds. It must feel great for the player, who started his career in the Leeds academy and has played over 150 games for the club, to return and create such an impact.
Rating: 8/10
Ethan Ampadu
Ethan Ampadu has played for a lot of clubs in his career so far despite only being 23 years-old. Now, he looks to have found his home after signing for Leeds on a permanent deal on July 19th 2023 from Chelsea. So far this season, Ampadu has played in all 13 games in both the Championship and the Carabao Cup. He has also played every minute of the season so far.
The defensive midfielder has proved to be a key player for Farke and he has put in a lot of top performances this campaign. No doubt Leeds are very excited to have signed the Welsh player this summer.
Rating: 8/10
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
