Leeds United decided to appoint German head coach Daniel Farke last summer as they looked to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
The Whites were relegated to the Championship at the end of last season and needed a manager who could achieve instant success in the second tier.
So they opted to bring in a boss who has already won the division twice in his career – both times with Norwich City – and he currently has the club in second place after 34 matches.
The former Borussia Monchengladbach chief also looks to develop young players and has handed 17-year-old academy graduate Archie Gray 30 league starts so far this season.
However, Farke does not give out appearances for nothing, if the player has not earned it, and one young prospect who seemingly failed to impress him last summer was Darko Gyabi.
The central midfielder was one of former sporting director Victor Orta's final signings at Leeds, during his last summer transfer window at the helm, and is now worth less than current first-team ace Ilia Gruev.
How much Leeds paid to sign Darko Gyabi
Kalvin Phillips completed a mega-money move to champions Manchester City for an initial fee of £42m in the summer of 2022, and the Whites swooped in to land Gyabi from the Cityzens at the same time.
The Athletic reported that Leeds splashed out a fee of £5m for the teenage midfielder, who had yet to play a single minute of first-team football in his career.
He had produced one goal and three assists in 16 appearances for Manchester City's U21s, with all three of those goal contributions coming in 11 Premier League 2 outings during the 2021/22 campaign.
Gyabi had showcased his potential as a goalscorer during his time with the club's U18s, though, with an eye-catching return of nine goals and two assists in 24 matches.
The 18-year-old went on to play three first-team matches, including one in the Premier League, throughout the 2022/23 campaign, and caught the eye at youth level.
Appearances
Three
Assists
One
Tackles per game
2.3
Interceptions per game
0.7
Dribbles completed per game
1.7
Duel success rate
60%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Gyabi showcased his qualities at both ends of the pitch as a well-rounded midfielder against senior opposition in the EFL Trophy whilst playing for the club's U21s.
He held his own in a physical sense, with a 60% duel success rate, whilst also making an impact in possession with an assist and five dribbles completed.
After the teenage whiz made his Premier League debut against his former club – Manchester City – during the 2022/23 campaign, you could forgive supporters for possibly expecting him to make the step up to being a regular first-team option at Championship level for Farke this season.
Darko Gyabi's plummeting market value
However, Gyabi failed to prove to the German head coach that, like Gray did, he was ready to be a consistent performer for the Whites in the second tier.
The 19-year-old gem was an unused substitute for the opening three games of the Championship season and was then brought on for one minute in the 4-3 win over Ipswich at Portman Road, before being an unused substitute once again for their next match against Sheffield Wednesday.
He did not make the matchday squad in any of the subsequent 21 league games and was sent out on loan to Plymouth Argyle during the January transfer window.
By the time January came around, Gyabi's market valuation on Transfermarkt had plummeted to €1.8m (£1.5m) and that means that his value has dropped by a staggering 70% from the initial £5m that Orta paid to secure his services back in 2022.
The former City prospect may not have kicked on in the way that Leeds expected him to, particularly after he made his top-flight debut for the club, as the talented midfielder's value has not soared with more experience and first-team exposure.
Starts
Seven
Goals
Zero
Assists
One
Tackles per game
2.4
Interceptions per game
1.1
Stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, Gyabi is now playing regular football with Plymouth in the Championship this year and Leeds will be hoping that he can find his feet at first-team level and begin to claw back his market value.
At this moment in time, he is worth less than all of Farke's current senior options in his position, including recent signing Gruev, and appears to be a £5m flop from the Orta era as it stands.
Ilia Gruev's current market value
The Bulgaria international, who was signed from Werder Bremen last summer, is the lowest-valued central midfielder within the first-team squad.
He is only valued at €4m (£3.4m) by Transfermarkt after having been signed for a reported £5m, which means that Gyabi's value has plummeted more than Gruev's given that both were signed for the same fee and the teenage midfielder is currently worth almost £2m less.
Hoever, the maestro has emerged as a regular starter for the Whites alongside Glen Kamara in recent weeks, with Ethan Ampadu having dropped into centre-back to cover for Pascal Struijk.
Gruev had to be patient during the first half of the season but is now enjoying a run of matches and is up to ten starts in the Championship in total.
Staggeringly, Leeds have won eight of the ten games he has started, with all eight coming in the last eight matches, which shows that the young gem has been part of an impressive side of late.
Appearances
19
Starts
Ten
Pass accuracy
93%
Duel success rate
53%
Dribble success rate
100%
Stats via Sofascore
The 23-year-old whiz, as you can see in the table above, Gruev has been effective and efficient with his work in and out of possession for the Whites.
He has been incredibly reliable on the ball, with his exceptional pass success rate, and has held his own in physical duels with a slightly above average success rate.
Farke will now be hoping that the Bulgarian maestro can keep up his current form alongside Kamara and help to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Meanwhile, the head coach may also have one eye on Gyabi's progress at Plymouth and hope that the youngster's value does not continue to plummet.
