Leeds United squad ranked by value for money with 'scandalous' fee, freebie stars and loan flop

A staff member of a recent visiting club had cause for a minor technological grumble at Elland Road and remarked that the £35m committed to Georginio Rutter’s signing might have been better spent on WiFi. The outlay for Rutter is a huge one, in second tier terms. You just don’t find many players running around in the Championship with such a price tag on their shoulders and therefore Rutter’s six goals and 11 assists, as well as his ability to beat defenders, should come as no real surprise. He should be good enough to give EFL defences a horrible time of it having been brought in as, essentially, a Premier League project player. Quite when the Frenchman will be able to take on the mantle of value for money remains to be seen, although should his creativity help Leeds to return to the Premier League then the conversation will be worth visiting. If he can improve the consistency of his finishing in the same way he has his hold up play and decision making then there’s every possibility that Rutter will go on to either make himself a vital player for years to come, or make Leeds a healthy return on their investment.

Elsewhere in the front line, however, you can’t really beat the value Leeds are getting out of Crysencio Summerville, procured for the now-scandalous fee of £1m, with his 15 Championship goals and eight assists, or £4m winger Willy Gnonto. Despite a slow and complicated start to the season, Gnonto’s five goals in five games have reminded everyone of his ability and potential, not to mention just how cheaply Leeds obtained an Italian international. Further back you have Pascal Struijk, purchased for precisely zero pounds from Ajax. Archie Gray’s homegrown status makes him another freebie and further evidence of the value to be found in developing your own talent through an academy. Illan Meslier cost less than £5m and is nearing 160 games in goal for the Whites. Even if there have been ups and downs for the French youth international along the way, he has and still will surely be worth far more than his joining fee, for Leeds.

There is, of course, a case to make that any player who contributes significantly in a squad that earns promotion has been worth the money, when you consider the vast riches Premier League status guarantees. The Whites are not there yet, far from it in fact, but there are players in Daniel Farke’s dressing room who represent bargains whether or not they go up this season, because of what they have given the club already or what they could go on to give it in the near and distant future. Heroes of the previous promotion side and youngsters of huge potential can be ranked high up the list when it comes to value for money. So here is that list, according to the YEP. Let the arguments commence.