Good Morning. It's Thursday 24th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road
Whites growing concerned about Bahoya's slow start at Leeds
There has been much chatter amongst Leeds United fans about Jean-Mattéo Bahoya’s lack of minutes since his deadline-day loan move from Eintracht Frankfurt. The 21 year old arrived at Elland Road on 1st September on a season-long loan that includes an option to buy, understood to be worth around £19.7m plus add-ons on top of a £1.7 million loan fee. But he has so far managed just two minutes of Premier League football, coming on in the dying stages of the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace. He was an unused substitute against Brighton, Newcastle and Chelsea. There is a sense that he is still adapting to a new club, a new league as well as Daniel Farke’s demands.
Against Palace, Farke turned first to an out-of-form Daniel James before finally introducing Bahoya. That pecking order has raised questions about where the France Under-21 wingersits in the manager’s plans. Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Bahoya has not done enough on the training ground to force Farke’s hand. “It’s already a bit of a concern that Bahoya hasn’t been playing often for Leeds,” Brown said. “They brought him in and he’s been in the squad, but he’s not been playing, other players are being brought on ahead of him, and he only got a couple of minutes against Palace.“
Daniel Farke has seen him in training every day, and he’ll be looking at the way he trains, how hard he works, how he performs, and questioning whether he’s ready to start. It seems he hasn’t been impressed by what he’s seen, so he doesn’t have the confidence to include him when it comes to a matchday. “Farke wants Bahoya to make his mind up for him . He needs to show him enough in training that it makes it impossible to leave him out, and he’s not doing that at the moment. Okay, it takes time for players to settle, but it’s clear they want to see more from him.”
Leeds will not rush a decision on triggering the option next summer. Sources say the club would be “more than happy” to keep him if he proves himself, but he has so far failed to impress. If he remains on the fringes after the international break, questions about his role, and his long-term future, will only get louder. Bahoya was signed as a high-upside wide attacker, a right-footed left-sider with Bundesliga and Champions League experience and a reputation for raw pace. The talent is not in doubt. The issue is whether he can convince Farke he is ready to use it. The next few months at Thorp Arch will go a long way towards answering that.
Are Chelsea regretting Ampadu move
talkSPORT pundit and Chelsea fan Rory Jennings has heaped praise on Leeds United captain Ethan Ampadu, calling the 26-year-old a “class act” who would transform Chelsea’s midfield. Ampadu, who turned 26 earlier this month, joined Leeds from Chelsea for an initial £7 million in July 2023. He made an immediate impact, became club captain, led the side to the 2024-25 Championship title and promotion, and has since established himself as one of the Premier League’s most reliable defensive midfielders. In June he signed a new deal running to 2030. Jennings first made the comments while discussing Chelsea’s midfield problems, including the absence of Moisés Caicedo and Reece James being used out of position.
Watching Leeds, he said the group chat among Chelsea supporters lit up. “They’re unbelievable (Leeds), they’re a fantastic team. Ethan Ampadu, you know, when I’m watching Ethan Ampadu, I’ve got my Chelsea group chat, and it’s going off. Everyone is going, ‘Ethan Ampadu is everything I want Reece James to be.’“It’s true: snapping into tackles, dictating the tempo, dictating the rhythm, ready to have a fight. He’s a brilliant player, Ampadu.” He later doubled down on social media after a clip of the remarks circulated: “Ethan Ampadu is a class act and would elevate our midfield beyond recognition.”
The contrast is stark. Ampadu made only 12 senior appearances in six years at Stamford Bridge and spent most of that time out on loan. At Elland Road he has become the on-pitch leader Daniel Farke relies on, a converted centre-back who reads the game, wins duels, and sets the tempo. Recent performances, including against Crystal Palace, have drawn further praise from pundits who now rate him among the division’s better midfielders. Leeds fans see Ampadu as priceless. He is the heartbeat of the team, the first name on the team-sheet, and a captain who embodies what the club wants to be.
But money talks. A bid in the region of £60 million would represent a huge profit on the original £7 million outlay and a significant premium on his current market value. Under those circumstances, the 49ers ownership may be tempted to cash in, however unpopular that decision would be on the terraces. For now that remains hypothetical; Ampadu has committed his peak years to Leeds and has spoken warmly about the project and the environment that allowed him to become the player he is today. Jennings’ remarks are another reminder of the value of a signing that looked modest at the time and now looks like one of the best pieces of business in recent years.
Former White in hot water
Former Leeds winger Ian Poveda has appeared in court charged with perverting the course of justice and two counts of fraud relating to driving-related offences, and has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Poveda, 26, who now plays for Atlético Nacional in Colombia’s top flight, appeared at Leeds Crown Court via video link and denied all four counts. Judge Robin Mairs set a trial date of 4 December 2028. The prosecution alleges he failed to disclose a driving disqualification in order to obtain insurance, displayed false number plates, and conspired to obtain insurance in someone else’s name for a car he intended to drive while disqualified.
The four perverting-the-course-of-justice charges cover the period between 8 July 2020 and 13 September 2023. The two fraud charges relate to alleged offences in 2023 and 2025. He appeared alongside co-defendants Adekunle Adeyemi, 36, who denies perverting the course of justice, and Anthony Howe, 63, who denies fraud. All three men, who are from London, were granted bail. Poveda joined Leeds from Manchester City in 2020 and later had spells at Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland. A former England youth international, he has since represented Colombia.
He featured as a substitute for Atlético Nacional in their most recent match on Sunday. He has previous convictions for driving offences, including a 2023 sentence for driving while disqualified and a six-month ban earlier this year after being caught speeding at 100mph. Those earlier cases are separate from the charges he now faces. All defendants deny the allegations. The case will return to Leeds Crown Court in December 2028.
