Leeds United are a club that have produced countless academy stars over the years, numerous of whom have made themselves key members of the first-team at Elland Road.
Kalvin Phillips broke into the senior side in Yorkshire back in 2016, making himself a regular in the squad after multiple campaigns of settling for minutes off the bench.
He would register a total of 234 appearances for the Whites, before leaving in a £45m deal to join Manchester City in the summer of 2022 – making the hierarchy a hefty profit.
Jack Clarke was another player to emerge out of the club’s impressive youth setup, taking the Championship by storm with his direct dribbling ability in the final third.
Like Phillips, he would depart in a big-money move, joining Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £10m, with another player following in the attacker’s footsteps in moving to North London over the last few years.
Archie Gray’s time at Spurs in 2024/25
Youngster Archie Gray endured a rapid rise to stardom in the 2023/24 season for his boyhood side, breaking into the first team during his ninth year on the books.
The now 18-year-old made himself a regular under Daniel Farke last season, featuring a staggering 52 times across all competitions despite his tender teenage years.
However, he would look right at home, featuring in various roles such as central midfield and right-back, but starring in both, earning him the EFL Young Championship Player of the Season award as a result.
After such tremendous showings in the second tier, Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur would come knocking, with the Whites reluctantly offloading him for £40m after their failure to secure promotion last season.
Such a big-money fee has massively helped the club’s finances, but they may have sold one player too prematurely, missing out on another mammoth sum had developed him rather than cashing in on him in the summer.
The player who could’ve been the next Archie Gray
As previously mentioned, the club have been lucky enough to have multiple talents develop through the ranks, but not all of whom have lived up to the hype at Elland Road.
One example of whom is centre-back Charlie Cresswell, who appeared as though he could become a key first-team member in Yorkshire after his first-team breakthrough back in 2020/21.
However, he would spend the following campaign on loan at Championship outfit Millwall, gaining valuable experience – something which appeared to be key given the Whites’ relegation back to the second tier upon his return to the club.
Cresswell would struggle to break into Farke’s plans in the German’s first year at the helm, restricting him to just seven appearances across all competitions – leading to his eventual departure last summer.
The 22-year-old would join French side Toulouse in a deal rising to £4m, a deal which would prove to be a bargain given his recent form for the Ligue 1 outfit, starting 19 times since his transfer.
The defender, who’s previously been dubbed a “warrior” by the Second Tier Podcast, has wasted no time in impressing away from Elland Road, showcasing the mistake made by his boyhood club in allowing him to leave on a permanent basis.
Games played
21
Goals & assists
1
Pass accuracy
82%
Tackles won
60%
Duels won
5.6
Duel success rate
63%
Aerials won
3.7
Aerial success rate
70%
After such an impressive loan stint a couple of years ago, it’s a surprise that Cresswell didn’t get more of an opportunity to showcase his talent at Elland Road, resulting in his switch to Europe.
However, given his form away from Yorkshire, the hierarchy may live to regret their decision to allow him to leave, potentially growing into the next academy star to leave for a huge sum – but if that is to happen, Toulouse would now be the beneficiaries after taking advantage of his lack of action.
His skillset and talent so far in 2024/25 is evidence that he could’ve been perfect for the current side, but their loss is now the Ligue 1 outfit’s gain – with Cresswell able to kick on and take full advantage of the chance handed his way, potentially developing into a top-level star.
Leeds hit gold selling "dangerous" striker who's being outscored by Bogle
Leeds United certainly made the right call in allowing the talented star to depart Elland Road.
ByEthan Lamb