GARY LINEKER and Micah Richards have been left stunned by Chelsea’s decision to sell a promising star for just £7million.
This is after the now Welsh star’s impressive return to the Premier League with Leeds United.
Ethan Ampadu, who was signed by Chelsea as a 17-year-old from Exeter City in 2017, spent six years at Stamford Bridge but struggled to break into the first team.
Despite making 12 appearances for the Blues, Ampadu spent much of his time out on loan at RB Leipzig, Sheffield United, Spezia, and Venezia.
The versatile defender failed to establish himself as a key player at Chelsea and in 2023, he was sold to Leeds for a surprisingly low fee of £7million.
However, Ampadu has bounced back in style, captaining Leeds to the Championship title last season before impressing in their return to the Premier League.
Under the guidance of Daniel Farke, Leeds were considered one of the favourites for relegation at the start of the season but they’ve defied expectations and are now six points clear of the drop zone with 11 games remaining.
Ampadu has featured in all but three of Leeds’ Premier League games this season, with his standout performance coming in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.
That display left both Lineker and Richards full of praise.
Richards exclaimed on The Rest is Football podcast: “Ethan Ampadu, oh my word.
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“His energy, his football intelligence, his technique… Do you remember him early doors at Chelsea? It was so different at Chelsea because he was a centre-half who was good on the ball.
“Now he’s playing centre-midfield and dictating play. He’s been amazing.”
Lineker added: “Everyone was talking and raving about him, weren’t they? And then he disappeared a little bit in terms of his reputation.
“I saw one or two people saying they weren’t sure about him, but I’ve been really impressed with him this season.”
Alan Shearer, the Premier League’s record goalscorer, also weighed in on Ampadu’s performance, calling it “brilliant” against Villa.
On Leeds’ form, Richards added: “They’re creating chances, they defend well, they’re entertaining to watch, Daniel Farke has done a really good job there.”
Ampadu, for his part, has no regrets about leaving Chelsea.
Speaking last week, he revealed that it “felt like he could have stayed” at Stamford Bridge, but ultimately, he wanted more game time for his development.
He said: “A number of clubs expressed interest in signing me, but I’m glad I chose Leeds.
“I feel at home here. It’s been a great fit.”
He added: “I always felt like I could have stayed at Chelsea and been a fourth-choice midfielder.
“But you never know what could happen with that. For my development, it was better to play. It wasn’t just Chelsea pushing, it was an open conversation over what was best.”
Reflecting on his move to Leeds, Ampadu admitted: “Before I joined, I heard how big Leeds were, but I didn’t really understand it.
“It would be weird for me to say, because of how big Leeds are, because I didn’t really understand it. The project they had, the boss told me where I could improve. It felt right. Leeds feels like home.”
Ampadu’s Leeds United face title contenders Manchester City this weekend, while his former club Chelsea take on Premier League leaders Arsenal in a huge clash.
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