Leeds United turn down huge Brighton transfer offer | OneFootball

Leeds United have rejected Brighton's initial bid for Georginio Rutter, whilst the Seagulls remain interested in Crysencio Summerville.

Georginio Rutter enjoyed an excellent first full season with Leeds United in the second tier as one of the main creative players in Daniel Farke's team, and such form has caught the eye, with the Whites rejecting a £30 million offer from Brighton, according to Beren Cross of Leeds Live.

The Whites will be bracing themselves for a somewhat difficult transfer window, with plenty of interest expected in the young stars who took them to the play-off final and within a solitary game of promotion. Failure to go up at the first time of asking leaves Leeds at the mercy of many of Europe's elite clubs.

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.

However, under Daniel Farke, he has been magnificent and a vital component for the German's attacking unit last season, ending the campaign among the Championship players with the most assists in the season.

The Frenchman came with a strong reputation from the Bundesliga outfit, having scored or assisted 19 in 64 games for them, mostly as a teenager, prompting Leeds to pay significant money for his services, although it is unlikely that all of the record-fee has been paid just yet, given the conditions of the add-ons in the deal.

Leeds reject Brighton offer for Georginio Rutter

Rutter has been a player transformed under Farke in the Championship, becoming one of Leeds' key players in the process. He has been a revelation in attack at knitting play together and also drawing fouls to get the Whites up the pitch.

Leeds are resigned to losing other key players following Archie Gray's sale to Tottenham Hotspur, with the likes of Rutter, Crysencio Summerville, and Willy Gnonto among the likeliest players to receive interest for high fees in Championship terms.

An offer of £30 million has been rejected by Leeds from Brighton and Hove Albion for Rutter. Leeds Live are reporting that "the bid from the Seagulls has been knocked back over the past 48 hours by the Whites hierarchy."

They also remain interested in Summerville despite signing Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle United recently, with Fabian Hürzeler aiming to improve his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Sky Sports' Tim Thornton and Elliot Cook have supported the claim from Cross (Transfer Centre - 19.28, 02/07/2024). It remains to be seen whether they will return with an offer for Rutter, or indeed an opening bid for Summerville, but Leeds' resolve is sure to be tested multiple times for their key players this summer.

Rutter's importance to Leeds

Rutter has played 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.

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

An offer of £30 million does not represent a significant PSR book profit, but it would almost certainly be close to Leeds' valuation of the forward, shoukd Brighton look to come back in with an improved offer.