Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke was brought in to lead the team back to the Premier League at the first time of asking last summer.

The Whites boss snapped up several new signings to bolster his squad during the summer transfer window, and they have contributed to the team currently sitting top of the Championship table.

Ethan Ampadu, who was signed from Chelsea for a reported fee of £7m, has been one of the standout performers for the team in the second tier this season, as both a defensive midfielder and a centre-back.

He has been in fantastic form for the Yorkshire-based side and Farke may have his next version of the Wales international in the form of 16-year-old academy sensation Ollie Pickles.

Ethan Ampadu's Leeds season in numbers

Ampadu has already made 43 appearances in all competitions for Leeds since his permanent move from Stamford Bridge last summer, with a return of two goals and two assists.

29 of those outings have been as a defensive midfielder, with the other 14 coming as a central defender, and he has showcased his quality in and out of possession.

Appearances

38

Pass accuracy

88%

Big chances created

6

Ground duel success rate

56%

Aerial duel success rate

63%

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh battler has won the majority of his physical duels, both on the deck and in the air, and has been composed and reliable in possession with his passes.

The 23-year-old star has been a calming presence in the heart of the Leeds midfield, and in the heart of the defence in 2024, and Farke may already have a homegrown, long-term, heir to Ampadu in Pickles, who is seven years younger than the ex-Chelsea prospect.

Ollie Pickes' Leeds potential

The 16-year-old talent's form for Leeds at U18 level has attracted interest from multiple Premier League clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.

TalkSPORT recently reported that both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, who are competing to secure European football for next season, are looking at the impressive youngster.

They also stated that Pickles has been likened to former Leeds star Kalvin Phillips due to his composed play in possession and superb range of passing, and added that club insiders at Thorp Arch see him as the next star to be fast-tracked into the first-team set-up.

The teenage whiz has a long way to go before he can boast the same career as Phillips, who made 234 appearances for the Whites and has been capped 31 times by England, but those behind the scenes – at Leeds as well as Newcastle and Spurs – clearly see him as a player with huge potential.

Pickles, who does not turn 17 until October, made his breakthrough at U18 level at the age of just 15 with six appearances, and one assist, in the U18 Premier League last season.

This term, the defensive midfielder has played in 13 games for the U18s across the FA Youth Cup and the U18 Premier League, and could now be seen as the long-term successor to Ampadu in the number six role.

It is now down to Pickles to fulfill the potential that the aforementioned clubs and Leeds appear to see in him to emerge as a future first-team option for Farke.