Leeds United failed to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking as they lost in the Championship play-off final in May.
Daniel Farke was backed with a number of signings in the summer transfer window last year and, ultimately, failed to achieve the goal of returning to the top-flight.
However, that does not mean that all of the additions made ahead of the 2023/24 campaign were poor pieces of business, as the Whites were able to bring in a few very good players.
One star they hit the jackpot with was the signing of Ethan Ampadu on a permanent deal from Chelsea, as his value has soared over the last 12 months.
Ethan Ampadu's soaring market value
The Whites reportedly paid an initial fee of £7m to snap up the Wales international from the Premier League side last year, with £3m in potential add-ons that could take the overall package to £10m.
Signed as a defensive midfielder, the 23-year-old enforcer spent the first half of the season in his natural role in the middle of the park alongside the likes of Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev.
However, an injury to Pascal Struijk meant that the Welshman was required to partner Joe Rodon at the heart of the defence, playing as the left-sided centre-back in the last five months of the campaign.
Ampadu went on to start all 46 of the club's league matches and his market value soared as a result of his strong performances on the pitch, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at €16m (£13.5m).
This shows that the Whites hit the jackpot when they spent an initial fee of £7m to sign the Chelsea prospect as his value has soared to almost double that in just one season at Elland Road.
Ethan Ampadu is worth more than Leeds target
Earlier this month, GIVEMESPORT reported that Leeds are interested in a deal to sign defensive midfielder Oliver Skipp from Spurs after their swoop for Joe Rodon on a permanent deal from the Premier League side.
The West Yorkshire side, however, already have a number six who is more valuable and could offer similar qualities in the middle of the park in the form of Ampadu.
Skipp is valued at €15m (£12.6m) by Transfermarkt and this means that Leeds' Welsh battler is currently worth €1m more, whilst their respective statistics at Championship level suggest the valuations are fair.
Appearances
46
45
Big chances created
6
3
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.9
3.3
Pass accuracy
89%
88%
Ground duel success rate
57%
62%
Aerial duel success rate
63%
42%
As you can see in the table above, both players provide similar qualities as defensive midfielders based on their most recent seasons in the second tier, with Skipp's coming under Farke at Norwich in the 2020/21 campaign.
Both players are reliable passers who can win the ball back through tackles and interceptions multiple times per game. However, Ampadu appears to be more dominant in duels, as he can win the majority of his battles on the deck and in the air.
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Therefore, Leeds may not need to dip into the market to splash the cash on Skipp if they can move the ex-Chelsea man, who they hit the jackpot with, back into a midfield role on a full-time basis.