Birmingham City, Cardiff & Luton shared Leeds United transfer gold | OneFootball

Cody Drameh enjoyed some impressive loan spells in the Championship away from Elland Road

Cody Drameh has enjoyed an intriguing career path thus far, with the right-sided defender certainly becoming a 'household' name at Championship level in recent times.

It is fair to say that the full-back was never truly able to find a 'home' in the early stages of his senior career, but that isn't to dispute how successful he proved to be for a handful of clubs, whilst also continuing to ply his trade in the second tier with Hull City at present.

Drameh's breakout certainly came whilst he was permanently contracted to Leeds United, under the watchful eye of legendary Elland Road boss, Marcelo Bielsa.

However, it would be three Championship clubs - albeit two are now currently vying for promotion out of League One - in the form of Cardiff City, Luton Town and Birmingham City, who would catch the first glimpses of what the London-born figure was truly about, although he would never be able to make the grade at Elland Road - like several colleagues - under the form of current Whites boss, Daniel Farke.

Cardiff City, Luton Town and Birmingham City shared Leeds United transfer gold with Cody Drameh loan swoops

Drameh was initially signed by the West Yorkshire side following their promotion back to the Premier League after 16 years away under the aforementioned Bielsa, with the England youth international defender previously coming through the ranks of Fulham.

Whilst the Argentinian did not immediately see the defender as a first-team regular, Drameh was clearly viewed as a player with significant potential by the fact he signed a four-year contract at Elland Road at just 18 years of age, ironically joining the same summer as his current Hull teammate, Joe Gelhardt.

The Dulwich native impressed in his final season as a youth team player, though, registering 43 appearances for Leeds' Under-21s, scoring twice and accumulating eight assists, proving himself to be an extremely energetic and creative force from deep, as well as having strong defensive nous.

After making four Premier League appearances for Leeds, Drameh's first exposure to regular first-team football came with the Bluebirds in the second half of the 2021/22 season under the management of Steve Morison.

With Cardiff fighting to remain in the Championship, the defender's impact was immediate, racking up three assists in 22 appearances whilst managing to swoop two awards, including the club's Player of the Season award, after less than five months at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Luton were the next to feel the benefits of a loan agreement with Leeds for his services - only this time it would end in scenes of collective jubilation under the Wembley arch.

Drameh featured just 19 times for the Hatters, accumulating a further two assists, but was influential in their run to the Premier League, which concluded through a dramatic penalty-shootout success in North London over Coventry City.

In the summer of 2023, Leeds were undergoing a series of changes regarding their squad and management team, with Drameh heavily involved in such proceedings.

Despite the fact the Whites were back in the Championship, the full-back was once again loaned out to a divisional rival in the form of Birmingham City.

Ironically, he was John Eustace's last signing at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park before his controversial dismissal five weeks later whilst Blues resided in the play-off places.

It proved to be a chaotic and forgetful season in the end for the West Midlands side, but that didn't change the fact that Drameh was still one of the club's more consistent performers under six permanent or interim managers as they were relegated to League One for the first time since 1995.

Cody Drameh's spell at Hull City has also been mixed after Leeds United exit

Drameh has since endured a mixed spell with Hull, initially agreeing to a three-year contract under Tim Walter in July 2024, before the German was sacked four months later.

The right-back has since jostled for a starting berth alongside club captain, Lewie Coyle, and has made just shy of 50 appearances for the Tigers as a result.

He was the subject of transfer speculation in the summer of 2025, which included surprise links to Crystal Palace, before a host of Championship sides, again, were interested in a deal in the winter of 2026.

A move would not materialise due to an injury, though, and it remains to be seen if Hull, or any other future sides, feel the same transfer gold which Cardiff, Luton and Birmingham did regarding the 24-year-old.