What new Ampadu decision means for Leeds board, Daniel Farke, transfer targets

“I feel like I can represent the people well. It's a very hard-working city, it's a fanbase that likes hard-working players and I'd like to think I base my game off [that],” he told reporters on Monday.

For Ampadu, signing on at Leeds was always the intention. While fans were lauding his signing of a four-year deal last week, the board were rubbing their hands with glee. Paraag Marathe was visibly relieved, glad and excited when revealing the news on Thursday.

Ampadu - who may have attracted offers once the transfer window opened from June 15 given he only had a year left on his former deal - not only offers security to the side but also sends a message to teammates and potential signings.

Leeds might not be a mere stepping stone but a club on the rise and, for some players, a destination team. “I think definitely it's a club - players involved, staff involved, a fan base involved - that want to go on to greater things,” said Ampadu when explaining why he penned the new deal.

“I think we also do understand that the second year in the Premier League is just as hard as the first and we've got to make sure that we do well enough to stay in the Premier League. Then from that point onwards we want to kick on. That's going to be a goal of ours.”

Marathe has outlined that Leeds will require another two years of Premier League stability - namely not getting relegated - before the Whites can look to higher echelons, and clearly the captain is one the same wavelength.

During his sit-down with the media last week, Marathe was cautious not to get too ahead of himself but explained how he believes Leeds, in the long-term, could - and perhaps should - be competing “internationally”.

Ampadu himself made reference to this. Asked about European ambition, he replied: “I mean that's the end goal, that's what we all want to do, that is what we're all striving for.

“There's a lot of hard work to get us to that point, which we're aware of and we're relishing to be honest, but it's definitely something that we should enjoy trying to do.”

The point is, the captain - a player who has grown immensely over the past year and has received growing adulation for his output - evidently buys into the project. It therefore encourages other key players to think that way, say Pascal Struijk - who has a year left on his deal - for instance.

Daniel Farke has often referenced Ampadu as his "most important player" and has re-emhpaised the need for the squad core to be kept intact this summer. For his own playing philosophy, Ampadu's renewal is a huge boost, but also for his recruitment objectives too.

Counterparts at other clubs will have watched and appreciated Ampadu’s exploits from afar. One senior Leeds figure last year explained how next-level players will always ask about the club’s recruitment and retention ambitions.

Those are the types of players Leeds will be hunting for this summer and Ampadu staying and signing a new long-term deal so early is now a jewell in the crown to boast about when engaging in talks with new signings.

This is also a talent who has not yet reached his peak. Aged 25, Ampadu will be at the pomp of his career once his contract is scheduled to end. The hope is that he will continue to grow and thereby attract prospects to Leeds, acting as an example of what the 49ers can do for a player’s career.

But Leeds as a club are putting no ceiling on what lies in the far future. Players have the opportunity to turn themselves into elite club legends, like Ampadu is on track to be. If Leeds are to climb back to the heights they were once at, retaining key men like Ampadu is essential.

The last few decades, though, have shown this is not guaranteed - which is why tying Ampadu down feels like a mighty boost not just for next season but what could lie ahead.

Of course - there is a long way to go, as the captain, the manager and the chairman have all gone on record as saying. The lofty ambitions of the club will not be aimed for within the next few years; supporters have been told this frequently over the past month.

It seems the key figures are on the same page, as the captain and the hierarchy clearly are. Sometimes contract renewals can be overplayed but the message this one in particular sends cannot be overstated.

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