Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season and dropped back down to the Championship after three years in the top-flight.
Former sporting director Victor Orta was relieved of his duties in May 2022, shortly before relegation was officially confirmed, after his managerial appointments and signings failed to avoid the drop.
Jesse Marsch was brought in to replace Marcelo Bielsa in February 2022 and kept the Whites in the Premier League with his work over the subsequent three months, to secure a third season in the division for the Yorkshire-based outfit.
Orta then backed the American head coach during the summer transfer window that year as seven new signings were brought in on permanent deals, including the likes of Rasmus Kristensen, Brenden Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto, and Tyler Adams.
It is safe to say that Leeds had mixed success with those deals. Kristensen was a particularly poor addition for the Whites as he put in poor performances at right-back, whilst earning more than Gnonto, who has turned out to be an excellent signing.
How much Leeds paid to sign Rasmus Kristensen
Orta and Marsch swooped to sign the full-back from Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg as their second move of that summer transfer window for a reported fee of £10m.
At the time of the transfer, the Leeds head coach revealed that he was "convinced" that the Danish enforcer would go on to become a "great" Premier League right-back.
Those comments did, however, come off the back of an impressive season in the Bundesliga with Salzburg during the 2021/22 campaign before the defender's switch to England.
Kristensen started 29 league matches in the Austrian top-flight that term and caught the eye with his superb attacking contributions from right-back, with a return of seven goals, three assists, and seven 'big chances' created.
Appearances
29
Goals + assists
10
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.4
Duel success rate
60%
Dribbles completed per game
1.3
He was also only dribbled past 0.4 times per game by Bundesliga forwards. This suggested that the £10m-rated star was a solid full-back whom wingers found it difficult to get past down the flank.
Overall, it appeared as though Leeds had signed a terrific young right-back who could provide a threat at the top end of the pitch, with goals and assists, whilst being a solid operator who did not allow players to beat him easily at the other end.
Rasmus Kristensen's Premier League stats
Unfortunately, those qualities did not translate well to life in the Premier League as he struggled throughout his debut season in England as the Whites were relegated to the Championship.
The Denmark international – per Capology – earned £40k-per-week throughout the 2022/23 campaign, which works out at roughly £2m for the season.
This means that Leeds spent £12m in total – transfer fee and wages combined – for his services last term, and they were not rewarded with value for money with his performances on the pitch.
Kristensen rinsed the club and that money was wasted as the Marsch flop left a lot to be desired with his defensive and offensive work in the English top-flight.
Appearances
29
26
Big chances created
Seven
Two
Key passes per game
1.2
0.3
Duel success rate
60%
54%
Dribbled past per game
0.4
1.3
As you can see in the table above, his performance levels at both ends of the pitch dipped significantly after his move to the Premier League from Austria, as he failed to provide anywhere near as much creativity and was easier for opposition forwards to beat in dribbles and in duels.
In fact, only Marc Roca (1.4) and Luke Ayling (1.5) were dribbled past more times per match than Kristensen within the Leeds squad last season.
The Danish defender also failed to rank within the top three performers at the club for tackles, interceptions, blocks, or aerial duels won per game, whilst Yorkshire Post journalist Leon Wobschall criticised his "appalling" defending against Liverpool in April 2023.
Overall, Leeds wasted £12m on the full-back as he was a negative on the pitch, with his poor displays at both ends, and decided to send him out on loan to Roma, where he has started 16 Serie A games this season, last summer.
Wilfried Gnonto's Leeds stats
The Whites snapped Gnonto up from Zurich for a reported fee of just £3.8m in the summer of 2022, which was the same window in which Kristensen was brought in.
Per Capology, the Italian youngster was on £20k-per-week in the Premier League last season for Leeds, which was half as much as the Danish right-back earned during his time at Elland Road.
Despite the club's relatively small outlay on the young whiz, Gnonto caught the eye with two goals and four assists in 14 top-flight starts for the side.
Whilst his attacking contributions were not enough to keep the team in the division, the right-footed dynamo arrived as a long-term project and his form in the Championship this term suggests that his potential is now being unearthed.
As you can see in the table below, the 20-year-old marksman has provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Whites this season.
Appearances
29
Starts
14
Goals
Six
Assists
Two
Big chances created
Two
Gnonto has provided eight direct goal contributions in 14 starts in the Championship for Daniel Farke's side, which is more than one every other start on average.
The impressive winger has, therefore, produced quality for Leeds in the Premier League and the second tier in, relatively, limited game time over the past two seasons, after being signed for £3.8m on £20k-per-week.
Whereas, Kristensen was 'appalling' in the top-flight after being brought in for £10m on £40k-per-week, which illustrates how much of a howler Orta and Marsch had with that signing.
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The Whites may now be hoping that they will be able to cash in on him, whether that is to Roma or another club, to recoup some of the money wasted on the flop in the upcoming summer transfer window.