Leeds United are bracing for a late attempt to retain Georginio Rutter, following the departures of Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville, and Archie Gray this summer.
**Leeds Transfer News**
The recent weeks have been challenging for Elland Road. After Summerville’s move to West Ham United, Leeds began their Championship season with a 3-3 draw against newly-promoted Portsmouth, followed by a Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Middlesbrough. To add to their troubles, Daniel Farke may now lose another key player. The fallout from their playoff final defeat to Southampton, which cost them a place in the Premier League, is being felt more acutely as the transfer window nears its close. The latest player linked with a departure is attacking midfielder Rutter.
According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, the 22-year-old has reached personal terms with Brighton & Hove Albion, who have triggered his £40m release clause. However, there’s a new twist offering Leeds some hope. Ben Jacobs reports that Leeds are “in the process” of presenting Rutter with a new contract in a last-ditch bid to retain Farke’s star player amid “fast-moving” negotiations.
Elland Road officials are reportedly “doing everything” to keep Rutter, but whether their offer will be enough to convince the Frenchman to reject the allure of Premier League football with Brighton remains uncertain.
A recent example that could inspire Leeds is Martin Zubimendi, who changed his mind at the last minute and chose to stay at Real Sociedad, turning down Liverpool after initially agreeing to join them. Leeds might be hoping to replicate Sociedad’s successful pitch with a last-minute contract offer to Rutter.
Rutter’s departure would be a significant blow to Leeds, as he has been instrumental in their attack. Similar to Zubimendi’s situation with Liverpool, Rutter has reportedly agreed to terms with Brighton, but this doesn’t guarantee the deal will go through, as Liverpool learned with Zubimendi. In the Basque club’s case, it was their presentation that ultimately convinced Zubimendi to stay, with talks for a new contract also underway.
It remains to be seen whether Leeds can craft a similar pitch for Rutter, but their reported efforts to offer him a new deal indicate that the story isn’t over yet. The Frenchman was vital to Leeds’ promotion hopes last season, scoring eight goals and providing 16 assists across all competitions. Given his importance, Leeds might regret his £40m release clause if he departs.
This transfer saga is far from concluded. The decision now lies with Rutter—will he follow in Summerville’s footsteps or take a page from Zubimendi’s playbook as the summer window draws to a close?
