Leeds United Are Gambling With Youth – And the Charlie Cresswell and Darko Gyabi Decisions Might Haunt Them for Years
By all accounts, Leeds United should be entering a new era — one filled with renewed hope, structural stability, and a blueprint for success under the leadership of Daniel Farke and the 49ers Enterprises. After the turbulence of relegation from the Premier League, the ownership shake-up, and a series of squad overhauls, fans have been clinging to the idea that the club is finally building something sustainable.
Yet recent transfer activity suggests a worrying trend — one that undermines the very foundation upon which clubs like Leeds have traditionally thrived. In a span of just a few months, the club has sanctioned the sale of two of its brightest young prospects: Charlie Cresswell, and soon, it seems, Darko Gyabi.
To the casual observer, these might appear to be typical Championship-level sales — a natural part of a club’s rebuild. But to those who have followed Leeds closely, and who understand the long-term value of developing and retaining young talent, these moves raise serious questions about the club’s direction, planning, and patience.
Let’s explore why.
Charlie Cresswell: The One That Got Away — Already
It’s worth starting with Charlie Cresswell, because the warning signs are already flashing red.
A Leeds academy graduate and the son of former Leeds defender Richard Cresswell, Charlie looked destined to follow in the family footsteps and become a long-term figure at Elland Road. Tall, commanding, brave, and tactically astute, he fit the mould of a modern centre-back: someone who could win aerial duels, pass out from the back, and lead a defensive line.
After promising performances on loan at Millwall and appearances in the Leeds first team during their Premier League campaigns, Cresswell seemed on the cusp of a major breakthrough. But despite his potential, he was sold this summer for just £3.8 million — a fee that left fans staggered, not just for its modesty, but for what it represented.
Now, reports suggest that Premier League clubs and even Serie A sides are circling for his signature, just weeks after Leeds let him go. That swift rise in interest has made many fans wonder: what exactly was the rush to sell?
Why was a 22-year-old centre-back, already proven in the Championship, let go for less than the price of many academy prospects with far less experience?
For a club that aspires to return to the Premier League — and stay there — decisions like this hint at either misjudgment or misalignment between the footballing and financial sides of the club.
Darko Gyabi: The Next Regret in Waiting?
If the sale of Cresswell shocked fans, the news that Darko Gyabi is also on the way out has been met with rising frustration and disbelief.
Gyabi, still only 21, was signed from Manchester City in 2022 for a reported £5 million fee — a sizeable investment for a youth player. He arrived with real pedigree, having developed under the guidance of City’s elite academy setup and catching the attention of scouts and coaches for his strength, technique, and football IQ.
At 6’2”, with the ability to operate as both a holding midfielder and a box-to-box engine, Gyabi looked tailor-made for modern football. He was seen as a long-term midfield solution for Leeds — someone who could develop into a Premier League-calibre player given the right game time and support.
And yet, he’s been given just nine first-team appearances in two years.
His loan spell at Plymouth Argyle in the second half of last season should have changed everything. While Argyle struggled in the Championship, Gyabi stood out as a composed presence in midfield. His ability to control tempo, win duels, and play progressively through the lines drew praise from Plymouth fans and pundits alike. Many were desperate to see him return on a permanent basis.
But instead of using that loan as a springboard back into the Leeds squad, it now appears it was an audition — not for Farke, but for potential buyers. The club is reportedly willing to offload him and recoup the transfer fee they paid to City, effectively writing him off as a sunk cost.
It’s a bold decision. Perhaps even reckless.
Skubala’s Prophetic Words: A Player Who Will “Only Get Better”
One of the most telling reflections on Gyabi’s potential came back in 2022, not from fans or media, but from Michael Skubala — then a youth coach at Leeds and someone who worked closely with the midfielder during his integration into the U21s and first-team fringe.
In an interview with Leeds Live, Skubala said:
“He still has work to do, but his ceiling is very high. He’ll only get better and better.”
That kind of assessment doesn’t come lightly from coaches who work in development. It suggests that while Gyabi wasn’t the finished product, he possessed the tools to become a Premier League midfielder in the right setup.
So why is he being discarded before he’s had a real chance?
The Championship is notoriously demanding, but it’s also a fertile ground for young talent to mature. Just look at what Archie Gray accomplished last season at 18. Gyabi, older and more physically developed, surely warranted more than a few cameo appearances before being sold off.
The Wider Worry: Leeds United and the Loss of Identity
Beyond the specifics of Cresswell and Gyabi, these decisions point to a broader issue — a creeping disconnect between youth development and first-team integration.
For decades, Thorp Arch has been a beacon of youth production. From Alan Smith and James Milner to Kalvin Phillips and the new generation led by the Gray family, Leeds United has built its identity around giving homegrown players a pathway to senior football.
But that pathway now seems more congested than ever — or worse, cut off.
Players like Cody Drameh, Sam Greenwood, and Joe Gelhardt have found themselves stuck in loan limbo, unable to nail down roles at Leeds and lacking the consistent backing to flourish. Instead of nurturing this group into a solid core — much like other clubs such as Brentford or Brighton have done — Leeds seem caught in a cycle of short-term fixes, frequent managerial changes, and inconsistent squad planning.
The 49ers’ Vision: Balancing Books or Building a Squad?
Much of this shift is likely tied to the transition in ownership.
The 49ers Enterprises, who took over full control in 2023, are applying a more business-driven, American-style approach to running the club. In some ways, that’s a good thing — financial sustainability, modern infrastructure, and commercial expansion are vital in modern football.
But there’s a fine line between running a tight ship and running a club like a commodity. And right now, decisions like the sales of Gyabi and Cresswell feel more like financial plays than footballing ones.
Are Leeds selling these players because they believe they aren’t good enough — or because they want to clear wages, recoup transfer fees, and reduce squad size?
The answer to that question matters — because it speaks to where Leeds are headed not just this season, but for the next five to ten years.
The Cost of Short-Term Thinking
Football history is full of players who were discarded too early and went on to thrive elsewhere.
Consider Aaron Ramsey, let go by Cardiff before becoming a lynchpin at Arsenal. Or Tariq Lamptey, allowed to leave Chelsea before making waves at Brighton. Even Kalvin Phillips, once considered a squad player, became a £50 million man under Marcelo Bielsa’s tutelage — simply because he was given time, belief, and development.
If Darko Gyabi goes on to thrive in the Premier League — or abroad — and if Charlie Cresswell becomes a regular in the top flight, Leeds will once again be playing catch-up, lamenting the choices they made in boardrooms instead of on training grounds.
Farke’s Responsibility — And the Clock Ticking
In fairness to Daniel Farke, managing a Championship squad with Premier League expectations is no easy task. Promotions are often built on experience, grit, and cohesion — not necessarily on youth experiments. His hands may also be tied by the ownership’s desire to slim the squad, reduce liabilities, and focus on players immediately ready to contribute.
But the best managers — the ones who truly build — find ways to blend experience with youth. Farke has the tactical acumen and leadership to do this. The question is whether he’s being backed to do so, or whether he’s caught in a system that prioritizes short-term returns over long-term value.
Either way, time is running out to get it right.
Final Word: Will History Repeat Itself?
It’s not too late to reverse course. Leeds could still reconsider Gyabi’s sale, or at least insert buy-back clauses or sell-on fees that protect their long-term interests. They could take a more strategic view of player development and give emerging talents a clearer, more consistent pathway to the first team.
But if they continue down the current path — selling promising players before they’ve been properly tested, and building squads around short-term expediency — they risk