"Impossible" - Georginio Rutter claim made as Brighton close in on Leeds United agreement | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit is concerned at the direction of the club following the reveal of Brighton's agreement for Georginio Rutter.

Highlights

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Georginio Rutter appears to be on the verge of signing for Brighton and Hove Albion after they triggered the Leeds United star's £40 million release clause.

This is according to David Ornstein of The Athletic, whilst Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany has added that a verbal agreement has been made regarding personal terms already. That's after an offer of £30 million was rejected by Leeds from Brighton earlier in the summer per Leeds Live.

Losing in the play-offs was always likely to have consequences for Leeds and has led to the departures of some key players, with Archie Gray, Glen Kamara and Crysencio Summerville all departing Elland Road in recent months.

More could potentially follow, with Willy Gnonto always likely to be the subject of interest from other clubs and Rutter proving his worth during the 2023/24 season. As it stands, the latter remains a Leeds player, and the club have entered talks to plead with Rutter to remain, but it appears as though his time in West Yorkshire is coming to an end as he is expected to snub a contract offer with Leeds and sign for Brighton, per Alex Crook.

Rutter is one of many to have benefitted from relegation, with regular football and clear development. Following a club-record arrival from Hoffenheim last January, the 22-year-old had initially struggled to adapt to the Leeds team and Premier League.

The Frenchman is now one of their biggest assets and is expected to be a huge player for them this season, despite not scoring in either of his two appearances for Leeds this season, but he was able to pick up an assist in a 3-3 draw against Portsmouth in the first league outing.

The Leeds United reaction to Rutter's move to Brighton

We asked FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith for his reaction to Rutter potentially leaving for Brighton and what it may mean for the remainder of Leeds' transfer window.

He said: "As much as this release clause needs the player to agree to the deal for it to go through, I think Leeds fans have been resigned to him going from the moment it came out.

"Brighton is a great opportunity for him to go to the Premier League. Would you want to stay at Leeds right now? Or go to the Premier League?

"The main problem for me, though, is not Rutter's decision. He is well within his rights to go. The main problem is who has sanctioned those release clauses? "They don't look to be out of reach or high in the sky like you would imagine for players of such talent, like Rutter, Crysencio Summerville, and Archie Gray. "The club-record deal meant he could be worth as much as £36 million [with add-ons], meaning his release clause is just £4 million higher. It makes no sense whatsoever, even if you are in the Championship. "I dread to think what Rutter leaving does for Leeds going forward, given that he is the chief creative presence in the team. "It's nigh on impossible to replace a player of that quality without striking gold in the transfer market. "I just don't expect the 49ers to be able to do that. Speaking of our owners, I do think that they have essentially ruined a lot of the good will that some fans had.

"With what has unfolded this summer, especially with all the clauses still present in contracts, it is going to now take a lot of work to rebuild the trust with these fans."

Losing Rutter is a huge blow for Leeds, as he has the ability to operate in various roles, including as a striker or winger, throughout his career. For Leeds, he was initially signed to play as a centre-forward, but he is not at his best when playing as a lone striker or as the role of the main goalscorer.

Rutter works best with space to turn into to attack the box, or is good at running in the channels. He is a very direct dribbler, and not a hold-up striker. As a centre-forward, he is less able to do the things he is best at, as he is often tasked with pinning the opposition centre-back, which is not a strength of his game, and likely never will be, either.

His eye for a pass, as well as his ability to turn and dribble to evade pressure, makes him one of the most dynamic and threatening forwards in the league. The 22-year-old's skill-set is far more technical than most second tier players, and has been part of the reason he can dominate his opponent.

There's no doubt that he is one of Leeds' best players and one of the Championship's best creators, and that they will be much worse off without him. Leeds have been stung yet again by a release clause, much like with Summerville.

Like the Dutchman, Rutter has the ability to be a difference-maker and match-winner, with the often mercurial talent a player Farke will have been desperate to cling onto, but one who ought to be playing Premier League football sooner rather than later.

It puts Leeds in a difficult spot with a player that is very difficult to replace in terms of his quality and profile.