The Whites chose to cash in on the talented central midfielder midway through the 2016/17 season.
Leeds United’s academy system has produced many excellent young players over the years, and Archie Gray appears to be the latest to make the breakthrough.
The 17-year-old whiz has started 29 of the club’s 33 Championship matches this season, the majority of which have been at an awkward right-back position for him.
Head coach Daniel Farke has put his trust in the former U21s sensation, transforming him into a regular first-team starter for the Whites in the second division.
Alex Mowatt, who broke into the senior side at Elland Road, once appeared to have a great career ahead of him. However, the club decided to cash in on him before his worth skyrocketed.
How much did Leeds sell Alex Mowatt for
Who had over 100 first-team appearances for the Whites, was sold to Barnsley in January 2017 for a reported £600k fee.
Mowatt came up through Yorkshire’s academy system and established himself as a regular from the 2013/14 season until the end of the 2015/16 season, playing 29 or more Championship games in each of those three years.
However, the academy graduate only started four of his 15 league appearances for the club in the first half of the 2016/17 season, prompting his move across Yorkshire to Barnsley at the beginning of 2017.
Mowatt later told The Athletic that the transfer came as a “shock” for him. He also stated that then-manager Garry Monk only saw him as a number 10, not a number eight or defensive midfielder, which is why his playing time was limited in the months preceding up to the transition.
Alex Mowatt’s rapidly increasing market value
Leeds’ loss was Barnsley’ gain, as the English star went on to score 20 goals and assist 23 times in 162 appearances across all competitions for the club.
Mowatt, a center midfielder, scored eight goals, assisted seven times, and created nine ‘great opportunities’ in 44 games for the Yorkshire club in his final season.
He discovered a method to affect games at the top end of the pitch from a number eight position rather than being shoehorned in as an offensive midfielder, which won him a free transfer to West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2021.
By November 2021, Mowatt’s Transfermarkt valuation had skyrocketed to €10 million (£8.6 million). That implies his value increased by 1,333% from the £600,000 that Leeds sold him to Barnsley for.
| 21/22 Championship | Alex Mowatt |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 34 |
| Goals | Four |
| Assists | Two |
| Tackles + interceptions per game | 2.8 |
| Duel success rate | 56% |
| Sofascore rating | 7.10 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As shown in the table above, the Baggies dynamo blended attacking prowess with defensive steadiness, winning the bulk of his physical duels and helping his market worth skyrocket.
This shows that Leeds made a mistake by selling the midfielder far too early in his growth, and that they might have made a bigger profit by allowing the gem to reach his full potential at Elland Road and then selling him when his worth peaked, albeit with the benefit of hindsight.
Currently, the 29-year-old jewel has won 67% of his duels and supplied four assists in 31 outings for West Brom, who are battling Leeds for promotion to the Premier League.
Hopefully, the Whites will not have the same regrets if they decide to split ways with current academy graduate Gray in a future transfer window.
