Ethan Ampadu makes Leeds United admission following Chelsea exit | OneFootball

Leeds United midfielder Ethan Ampadu has admitted his relief at being able to settle down at a club for the long term now following his permanent switch from Chelsea, speaking to the BBC.

The Blues bought the Welshman when he was a youngster at Exeter City, with the midfielder managing to make his breakthrough at the Grecians at a very young age.

Unfortunately, he was unable to translate that potential into regular first-team starts at Stamford Bridge and with this, he was sent out on a number of loan spells.

He managed to play for a number of teams in a number of different countries during his time at Stamford Bridge, first joining RB Leipzig before returning to England to play for Sheffield United during their unsuccessful 2020/21 campaign.

Considering the Blades finished in the top half of the Premier League at the end of 2019/20, Ampadu will have been hoping to guide United to a similar finish but they were unable to replicate what they had done during the previous season and finished at the bottom of the table.

After that, further loan spells at Venezia and Spezia followed, and it was unclear whether he would head back out on loan for a fifth time, stay with the first team or move on permanently.

What did Ethan Ampadu say about his move to Leeds United?

Leeds managed to come up with the amount needed to lure the Welshman to Elland Road permanently in the summer, with the Whites forking out at least £7m.

That's a sizeable amount for a club that didn't generate a huge amount from player sales in the summer, but the 49ers were seemingly keen to back Daniel Farke and get a deal over the line.

Results haven't been great for the West Yorkshire side so far this term - but Ampadu has been one of the first names on the teamsheet and that will only help him in his quest to develop.

Making seven appearances in all competitions so far, he will be looking to build on that after the international break and is likely to retain his place in midfield following the departure of Tyler Adams, although Glen Kamara and others will be looking to secure a starting spot ahead of him.

Leeds may not have made the best start to 2023/24, but Ampadu was positive when speaking about his move to Elland Road, saying: "Personally it's nice to be settled, when you're settled and stable somewhere, that distraction of being on loan is gone.

"It's nice to be somewhere to call home. I'm grateful for all loan moves I did, the years I was at Chelsea, how I developed.

"But I'm settled now and I can hopefully play in one position, concentrate on it and take everything I've learned in the past and put it together now."

Has Ethan Ampadu made the right move to join Leeds United?

Ideally, Ampadu would have remained in the Premier League with a club that are in the bottom half of the division, so he could win a decent amount of game time but also remain at the top level.

But there's a chance the Whites will end up back in the top flight next season under a manager who knows how to win promotion, so a move to Elland Road seems like a good one for Ampadu who's likely to be a regular starter there.

If he can continue to develop, he will earn a move back to the top tier sooner rather than later with or without his current side.

But looking at the present, he has the chance to perform in front of a big crowd at Elland Road and that's an excellent opportunity for him.

Now he needs to ensure he retains his starting spot, something he was unable to do at Stamford Bridge.

It was the right decision by him to make a permanent move - because it never looked as though he was going to be one of the first names on the teamsheet in the English capital.