Over the last 25 years, Leeds United have cashed in on a number of star players, most recently after failing to secure immediate promotion back to the Premier League.
The Whites have done deals with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City and Manchester United, but who is Leeds’ most expensive departure of all time?
Here is a look at Leeds United’s most expensive sales in their history, as per Transfermarkt, with a detailed look at the top 10.
1
Raphinha
£55m
Barcelona
2022
2
Kalvin Phillips
£45m
Man City
2022
3
Georginio Rutter
£40m
Brighton
2024
=4
Archie Gray
£30m
Tottenham
2024
=4
Rio Ferdinand
£30m
Man Utd
2002
6
Crysencio Summerville
£25m
West Ham
2024
=7
Tyler Adams
£20m
Bournemouth
2023
=7
Luis Sinisterra
£20m
Bournemouth
2024
9
Chris Wood
£15m
Burnley
2017
10
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
£12m
Atletico Madrid
1999
11
Ross McCormack
£11m
Fulham
2014
12
Jack Clarke
£10m
Tottenham
2019
13
Jonathan Woodgate
£9m
Newcastle
2003
14
Glen Kamara
£8.4m
Rennes
2024
=15
Robbie Keane
£7m
Tottenham
2002
=15
Lewis Cook
£7m
Bournemouth
2016
=15
Alan Smith
£7m
Man Utd
2004
18
Ronaldo Vieira
£6.2m
Sampdoria
2018
=19
Robbie Fowler
£6m
Man City
2003
=19
Fabian Delph
£6m
Aston Villa
2009
Here’s a detailed look at the top 10 Leeds United sales… 10 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink £12m to Atletico Madrid, 1999
Leeds United was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s first taste of English football, with the Dutch forward joining from Boavista in 1997.
Hasselbaink finished as the joint Premier League Golden Boot winner in his second season, and after a dispute over a new deal, was sold to Atletico Madrid for £12m, with the club making five times the fee they paid for the striker.
9 Chris Wood £15m to Burnley, 2017
Striker Chris Wood arrived at Elland Road from Leicester City in 2015 and enjoyed two solid seasons with the club, scoring 30 goals in all competitions during the 2016/17 season.
His displays caught the eye of Burnley, and the lure of Premier League football persuaded Wood to move to Turf Moor, resulting in the Whites making a healthy profit following his £15m move.
8 Luis Sinisterra £20m to Bournemouth, 2024
Luis Sinisterra was one of a number of players who exercised their relegation loan clause to leave Elland Road in 2023, returning to the Premier League with Bournemouth.
Jaidon Anthony moved to Leeds on loan from the Cherries, and in February 2024, Sinisterra’s move to the south coast was made permanent for a £20m fee.
7 Tyler Adams £20m to Bournemouth, 2023
Weeks before Sinisterra joined Bournemouth on loan, holding midfielder Tyler Adams had swapped Elland Road for the Vitality Stadium in a permanent transfer, reportedly worth in excess of £20m.
The USA international’s one campaign in West Yorkshire ended in relegation, but Leeds did make a small profit on Adams, while his sale also kept the club in line with FFP.
6 Crysencio Summerville £25m to West Ham, 2024
After starring in the Championship and winning the league’s Player of the Year award in 2024, it was no surprise that Leeds’ failure to win promotion back to the top flight resulted in Crysencio Summerville’s exit.
Leeds signed Summerville from Eredivisie giants Feyenoord for a fee believed to be just over £1m, resulting in a huge profit when West Ham triggered an exit clause that cost the Hammers £25m.
5 Rio Ferdinand £30m to Man Utd, 2002
Defender Rio Ferdinand was Leeds’ record departure for 20 years after he joined rivals Manchester United in 2002 for what was a mind-boggling £30m.
Signed from West Ham in 2000, Ferdinand went from strength to strength at Elland Road, and following Leeds’ financial troubles, the Red Devils took advantage and made him the most expensive British footballer in history at the time.
4 Archie Gray £30m to Tottenham, 2024
Academy graduate Archie Gray only made his senior debut for Leeds at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, and less than 12 months later, he was joining Spurs in a big-money £30m deal.
Gray starred in midfield and at right-back in the Championship and was another who had a release clause triggered after Leeds lost at Wembley to Southampton in the play-off final.
3 Georginio Rutter £40m to Brighton, 2024
Like Summerville and Gray, Georginio Rutter also left Leeds in 2024 and was another who had a release clause activated after the club’s failure to win promotion.
Brighton triggered the clause with hours to spare, with the Whites making a profit on the fee they paid Hoffenheim in 2023. Rutter’s £40m sale was the largest sum they received that summer.
2 Kalvin Phillips £45m to Man City, 2022
Academy graduate Kalvin Phillips was transformed by Marcelo Bielsa, becoming a key cog in the Argentinian’s Leeds side between 2018 and 2022.
The holding midfielder even went on to star for England and helped Leeds to the Premier League, which resulted in Manchester City and Pep Guardiola taking Phillips to the Etihad for £45m. However, Phillips held the record as Leeds’ biggest departure for just 11 days…
1 Raphinha £55m to Barcelona, 2022
Leeds United’s most expensive sale of all time is Raphinha, who is also arguably the most talented player the Whites have had this millennium.
Signed from French side Rennes on deadline day in 2020, Raphinha helped Leeds finish ninth in their first season back in the Premier League and almost single-handily kept Leeds up in 2022 before sealing his dream move to Camp Nou following a £55m transfer.