Leeds United's 10 biggest sales of all time

Cameron Smith

• 23 Sep 2024 13:24 CDT
• 6 min read

Leeds United are one of the biggest and most well-supported clubs in England, with their successes in the 1960s and 1970s still fresh in the memory of the club's devoted fanbase.

Recent years have seen them climb back to the sharp end of English football, with the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa helping eradicate years of Championship mediocrity.

However, despite returning to the Premier League under Bielsa, Leeds are now back in the Championship after they suffered relegation to the second tier in 2022-23 with Sam Allardyce at the helm.

Below, FootballTransfers lists Leeds' 10 most expensive departures.

10. Chris Wood - €16.4m (to Burnley, 2017)

Chris Wood spent two years at Leeds following his move from Leicester City, establishing himself as one of the Championship's deadliest marksmen during his time at the club.

He scored 44 goals in 88 Leeds games, including 30 during his final year at Elland Road. That form earned him a move to Premier League side Burnley, who broke their own transfer record to sign the New Zealand international.

Wood joined Newcastle from Burnley in 2022 before signing for Nottingham Forest in January 2023.

9. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - €16.7m (to Atletico Madrid, 1999)

One of the most clinical strikers of his era, Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink made the move from Leeds to Atletico Madrid in 1999 to become the club's record sale at the time.

After being signed from Boavista in Portugal in 1997, Hasselbaink netted 47 goals in 87 games in all competitions for Leeds, and won the 1998-99 Premier League Golden Boot.

He was sold to Atleti in 1999 before returning to England with Chelsea.

8. Luis Sinisterra - €23.4m (to Bournemouth, 2024)

Leeds suffered a painful few months in mid-2024. After missing out on immediate promotion back to the Premier League, they were bled dry of talent, with Luis Sinisterra one of many to depart.

The winger joined Bournemouth for €23.4m after already spending the previous campaign on loan at the South Coast club. The Colombian left Leeds having scored eight times in 26 games.

7. Tyler Adams - €26.9m (to Bournemouth, 2003)

Tyler Adams lasted just one year at Leeds as he jumped ship following their relegation to the Championship.

The USMNT international arrived at the club from RB Leipzig for €17m, meaning Leeds turned an impressive €9.9m profit after just a year.

Adams was one of Leeds' standout players during his sole season at the club and his hamstring injury - which ended his season in March 2023 - played a major role in why the Elland Road club weren't able to survive.

6. Crysencio Summerville - €29.3m (to West Ham, 2024)

Crysencio Summerville left Leeds in 2024 after a breakout season in the Championship, which saw him net 20 goals and earn Player of the Season honours.

Leeds had been confident that they would be able to keep hold of their star man after managing to balance the books via other sales, but West Ham eventually triggered his €29.3m release clause, prompting him to jump ship after failing to fire them back into the top flight.

5. Archie Gray - €41.25m (to Tottenham, 2024)

Perhaps the most painful sale on this list, homegrown wonderkid Archie Gray was one of the many names to leave Leeds in the summer of 2024. In the previous campaign, Gray had managed to break into Daniel Farke's side at 17 and was outstanding.

The versatile defender/midfielder is Leeds through and through as both his father and grandfather played for the Whites, so his departure was an incredible emotional one.

However, it was ultimately also a necessary one as Leeds had to raise funds after failing to get back to the Premier League and the whopping €41.25m they received made this bitter pill a little easier to swallow.

4. Rio Ferdinand - €46m (to Man Utd, 2002)

The man who topped this list for 20 years, Rio Ferdinand, now features in fourth place. The English defender had been signed from boyhood club West Ham just two years prior, but his performances for Leeds caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson and Man Utd.

Ferdinand had already become the world's most expensive defender when Leeds signed him in 2000, and he broke his own record when he left Leeds after 72 appearances for the club.

The move was also a British transfer record, but it was just shy of the €50m Leeds had reportedly wanted.

3. Georginio Rutter - €46.7m (to Brighton, 2024)

The most lucrative sale of the 2024 exodus was that of Georginio Rutter. The Frenchman had impressed enough in the Championship to convince Brighton to trigger his hefty €46.7m release clause.

Having been signed for a whopping €40.5m from Hoffenheim, the young striker departed Leeds after just a year and a half during which he scored eight times and provided 18 assists.

2. Kalvin Phillips - €49m (to Man City, 2022)

Ferdinand's long-standing record was finally ousted by Kalvin Phillips in the 2022 summer transfer window.

Phillips came through the Leeds academy and was a consistent performer under Marcelo Bielsa for many years, making over 200 appearances for the club.

He earned international recognition following his outstanding form in the white shirt of Leeds and won England's 'Men's Player of the Year' award for 2021.

He was sold to Premier League champions Manchester City for €49m in 2022 but never managed to establish himself at the Etihad.

1. Raphinha - €58m (to Barcelona, 2022)

Phillips' record as the biggest Leeds sale ever lasted only a matter of weeks as Raphinha was offloaded to Barcelona in the same summer.

The Brazilian had developed into one of the Premier League's most exciting wingers during his two years at Elland Road, which enticed Barca to swoop.

He scored 17 Premier League goals and delivered 12 assists during his time at the club and he proved crucial in Leeds avoiding relegation in his final year.

Raphinha's form led to him receiving bids from Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal, but he always dreamed of playing for the Blaugrana and he moved to the Camp Nou in 2022.

The 10 biggest Leeds sales of all time