Leeds chairman confirms new Ethan Ampadu contract, desire to keep Daniel Farke ‘for a while’ – The Athletic
Leeds United and captain Ethan Ampadu have agreed terms on a new contract which ties him to the club until 2030, according to club chairman Paraag Marathe.
Ampadu, 25, had one year remaining on his previous deal, but has been rewarded for leading the club to a stellar Premier League campaign.
The Wales international played more than anyone else for Leeds en route to a 14th-place finish, which saw survival confirmed three matches before the season ended. As a leader on and off the pitch for the team, he is seen as a cornerstone the club had to build its future around.
Marathe confirmed the news in a series of interviews on Thursday morning. He underlined how well Ampadu represents the club’s executives as well as the players on the pitch.
“Ethan was so instrumental for our whole year, and he’s such a captain on and off the pitch,” said Marathe. “Everything he does is true leadership.
“He’s almost like one of us on the pitch, but he’s also one of the guys and so we all thought it was such an important first step for this upcoming window.”
Securing Ampadu’s future, after such an instrumental season, was considered an important first step this summer. Daniel Farke stands out as the other key figure with an uncertain future.
The Leeds manager has one year remaining on his contract, but he left the door open to what his future might look like in a press conference last month. “Once I signed the contract three years ago, we spoke about the goals, what we want to achieve and my mission is fulfilled,” Farke said.
“There’s nothing to add anymore. We spoke about four years, but after three years, all the boxes are ticked. Right now, it’s important we sit together in a trusting atmosphere and speak about new goals because this period is done right now.”
Farke has one year remaining on his Leeds contract (George Wood/Getty Images)
Marathe made it clear he hopes and expects the German to stick around beyond the 2027 expiry on his current contract, with talks on a new deal to come at the right moment.
“My hope and expectation is he’s with us for a while,” he said. “He’s got another 12 months, but we both have an interest in keeping this going. At the right time and in the right way, we’ll have those conversations. He’s a big part of our future.”
The chairman was asked about his reaction to Farke’s press conference on May 15, in which he set out his ambitions for the club and called for talks on how the board hopes to move forward with him as manager. He also reiterated how important it was for him to retain control of all footballing decisions.
“I love his ambition,” said Marathe. “I have ambition too. I’m happy for him (because it was) probably a moment for him to sigh, relaxation for a minute, ‘we’ve arrived’ and he doesn’t have to constantly answer questions about, ‘are we going to survive or not’.
“I talk to Daniel all the time and we are on the same page. One thing I’m proud of is, from the moment we got together three years ago, in terms of what we wanted it to look like, it’s been on track.
“Daniel doesn’t need to pitch me on the next three-year plan and I don’t need to pitch him on what the three-year plan is going to be like. Leeds is bigger than him and Leeds is bigger than me.
“We got Leeds on a track going in the right direction at the right speed and I’m on the train and Daniel is on the train. I’m excited about him coaching the squad and hopefully he’ll be doing it much longer than this season as well.”
Leeds looking to build
This is the perfect way for Leeds to start their summer. The futures of Ampadu and Farke are the biggest talking points, aside from transfers, and to resolve one of those, this early, is a shot in the arm for the entire organisation.
Ampadu, who won both Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year at the club’s in-house ceremony last month, was a talisman for the team last season. He played more than anyone else for the club and set the tone, on and off the field, for a newly promoted team which secured safety with three matches to spare.
This new contract nips any transfer speculation in the bud, too. Undoubtedly, suitors would have tested United’s resolve on Ampadu, as a 25-year-old with his best years ahead of him, after such an outstanding season.
This signature also represents a statement of intent from the club. It is proof of their ambition and their keenness to get the big decisions right this summer, while also showing every prospective transfer target how they are building for the years ahead in the Premier League.
