One figure who has gone down in history at Leeds United is former manager Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine manager is adored by the Elland Road faithful, after spending three and a half successful years at the club between 2018/19 and 2021/22.

Of course, he was the man in charge when the Whites were promoted back to the Premier League for the first time in over a decade, and he helped them survive comfortably.

That initial campaign back in the top flight in 2020/21 saw the Yorkshire side come ninth in the table.

Statistically, they were one of the most exciting teams to watch in 2020/21. They certainly stack up well against their start to this season.

How Leeds’ key stats from 2020/21 compare to 2025/26

We are seven games into the new season, and Leeds, now managed by Daniel Farke, have impressed fans and pundits with how well they’ve played.

Many people, including Bill Connelly of ESPN, had them down to be relegated, predicting they’d finish 18th.

Yet, at the October international break, the Whites have done well to keep themselves above the relegation zone. They have eight points to their name and sit 15th in the table.

The expected points tally, as per Understat, has them on 9.96xPTS, suggesting they’ve played better than their current tally suggests.

Seven games into the 2020/21 campaign under Bielsa saw Leeds doing slightly better than their current points total. At the same stage that season, they had ten points to their name and were 12th in the top flight, again impressing given they’d only just been promoted.

Whilst the squad five seasons ago had outscored Farke’s team seven games into the season, the current Leeds side are more defensively sound. They’ve conceded 11 goals this term, with an expected goals against total of 8.87xGA.

In comparison, Bielsa’s men had let in 13 goals in seven matches, at 12.85xGA according to Understat.

With that in mind, there is one man from the current Leeds side who would have surely made Bielsa’s team stronger.

The current Leeds player who'd strengthen Bielsa’s team

There have been several standout players in a Leeds shirt this season. New signing Sean Longstaff has transitioned to life at Elland Road seamlessly.

He’s already created 13 chances in the top flight, averaging 2.5 per 90 minutes.

However, it is defensively that the famous 2020/21 side could have done with reinforcements. That is why current Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu would have slotted seamlessly into Bielsa’s squad.

The Welshman is an “indispensable” member of Farke’s side, according to football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

His entire Elland Road career has come under the German’s tutelage, racking up 91 appearances and even chipping in with a couple of goals back in his first season at the club.

One of the great things about the Whites number four is his versatility. He’s equally adept at playing as a centre-back and the base of the midfield, operating as a number six who can screen the back four.

In a Leeds shirt, he’s played 48 times in the latter role, and 40 at the back.

The above graphic shows Leeds’ most common starting lineup from the 2020/21 campaign. It is easy to imagine Ampadu slotting into the back four next to then-club captain Liam Cooper, displacing Diego Llorente.

Alternatively, he could have played alongside Kalvin Phillips in midfield to make them even more defensively astute. That is a duo which would have won plenty of duels in the middle of the park.

Some stats show Ampadu’s quality, too. Last season in the Championship, and this term in the Premier League, he’s been extremely consistent.

For example, in 2024/25, he made 5.1 ball recoveries per 90 minutes on average, which has slightly dropped to 5 each game in 2025/26.

Pass accuracy

90.44%

86.01%

Duels won

5.9

4.8

Clearances

3.5

2.5

Interceptions

1

1.3

Ball recoveries

5.1

5

It is certainly not too far-fetched to imagine Ampadu operating in this successful Bielsa side. Knowing the versatility he offers, as well as the quality he can bring to a side on and off the ball, he would have made a fine addition to a heavy-metal, transitional team.

Of course, we’ll never know how well this could have worked out, but Ampadu’s contributions could have made Bielsa’s famous Leeds side even better.