Ethan Ampadu has laid down a marker to Leeds United’s recruitment team and board for the rest of the transfer window.
Ampadu and the rest of Leeds’ squad will be as desperate as anyone to see some fresh quality brought through the doors at Elland Road in the coming days.
Leeds played a Championship match for the first time without both Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville for almost exactly 12 months at West Bromwich Albion, and the results weren’t pretty.
Though a much improved defensive performance was needed to pick up a point, Leeds created virtually nothing from open play across the entire 90 minutes.
Daniel Farke has twice confirmed publicly he wants two new attackers on top of a full-back and central midfielder, with it now clear the players he currently has at his disposal are not good enough to fill the voids left by Summerville and Rutter.
Ampadu shares what he wants to see Leeds do in market
In Summerville and Rutter, Leeds have not only lost their two best players on the pitch, but also two big characters off it.
Farke would often mention how loud and energetic they both were around the training ground and particularly in the case of Rutter, someone who the entire squad loved has now gone.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Radio Leeds, Ampadu was asked how much he is actually kept up to date with potential incomings as the club’s captain.
Though refusing to go into too much detail, Ampadu was not afraid to say he wants to see some ‘big characters’ brought in soon to replace those that have gone the other way.
He said: “Every football club has incomings and outgoings and you understand that when you are part of football. It’s not until the transfer window is open where everything is clarified.
“Of course it’s never nice to lose players and any player that moves on we wish him all the best, and likewise any player that comes in we want him to part of what we want to fight for.
“I think naturally we have been very good at keeping a close knit for no matter who’s here and we all get on well. Obviously you miss some big characters but hopefully there’s some big characters coming in. This group’s together and we’re all fighting for the same thing.
“Not enough to be telling you guys [how much he’s kept in the loop]. Like I said any transfer window there’s going to be incomings and outgoings and while there’s still time left, there’s still time left for things to be done.
“I guess my responsibility is anyone who comes, try and welcome them but not just me, as a team we’re going to be very good at that.”
- READ MORE: Georginio Rutter makes claim about Raphinha straight after leaving Leeds United for Brighton
Ampadu and Farke have both now made 49ers demand
The players clearly are not daft and recognise that new faces simply have to come through the door urgently to avoid a repeat of last season’s poor start.
You can almost guarantee that Joe Rodon would not have snubbed Premier League interest had he known this is how Leeds’ summer was going to play out.
With that in mind, it is now both Ampadu and Farke who have now made it clear publicly that new faces are needed.
There is some much pressure on the 49ers to ensure they get the business done, or they could be in for some serious criticism.
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