Leeds United’s 10 biggest sales of all time

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 to eradicate years of Championship mediocrity.

While they are now back in the Premier League, Leeds have largely been a selling club over the past decade and they have frequently been forced to offload their best players to richer teams.

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 games for Leeds, 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 then 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 signing from Boavista in Portugal in 1997, Hasselbaink netted a whopping 47 goals in just 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 spending the previous campaign on loan at the South Coast club. The Colombian left Leeds having netted eight goals in 26 games.

7. Tyler Adams – €26.9m (to Bournemouth, 2023)

Tyler Adams lasted just one year at Leeds as he jumped ship following their relegation to the Championship in 2023.

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 campaign in March 2023 – played a major role in why they weren’t able to survive the drop.

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 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 – €41.3m (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 broke into Daniel Farke’s preferred starting XI at just 17 years old and he was a standout performer at right-back and in central midfield.

The Englishman is Leeds through and through as both his father and grandfather played for the Whites, and his departure was therefore an incredibly emotional one.

However, it was ultimately a necessary one as Leeds needed to raise funds through player sales and the whopping €41.3m fee they received from Spurs 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 arrived at Elland Road 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 only 72 appearances for the club.

The move was also a British transfer record, although 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 in January 2023, the young striker departed Leeds after an 18-month spell that saw him score eight goals and provide 18 assists.

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

The aforementioned 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 in 2021.

He was sold to Premier League champions Manchester City for €49m in 2022, but he has endured a torrid spell at the Etihad Stadium and was sent on loan to Championship outfit Sheffield United in January 2026.

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 in West Yorkshire.

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 Camp Nou in 2022.

The 10 biggest Leeds sales of all time

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