"Perfect replacement for Rutter" - Leeds United transfer regret expressed over Roland Sallai | OneFootball

Leeds United were unable to strike an ambitious deal for Roland Sallai

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...

Leeds United supporters are still ruing the club's failed attempt to complete an ambitious swoop for Roland Sallai in their mission to offset the departure of Georginio Rutter.

Rutter's departure to Brighton and Hove Albion following the activation of his exit clause handed Leeds a fresh blow in a hectic summer transfer window that had borne many, with Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray also moving to the Premier League for significant sums.

Leeds, who faced the second squad exodus in as many summers, did manage to save face by bringing in Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon in the closing stages of the window but ultimately fell short in their pursuit of Freiburg playmaker Roland Sallai despite reportedly pushing hard to land the Hungarian in a £10m deadline day deal.

Leeds United verdict given on Roland Sallai transfer regret

Sallai has been a regular in the Bundesliga with Freiburg for the last five seasons while also tallying 52 caps and counting for Hungary international, meaning that the signing would have represented outstanding pedigree and pulling power shown by the Whites.

Leeds supporters had been pining for the club to pull off the exciting transfer after Rutter's exit, and Football League World's resident Whites fan pundit Kris Smith has outlined it as their biggest regret of the summer window.

"After all the talent Leeds lost over the summer, I do think the one missing piece of the puzzle after deadline day had finished was signing an attacking midfielder," Kris told Football League World.

"We weren't short of players we were seemingly interested in. The standout for me, even though we had a rejected bid for Gustavo Hamer, was Roland Sallai from Freiburg.

"Versatile and a nigh-on perfect replacement for Rutter behind the striker after he left for Brighton. Sallai is both-footed and, despite being an attacking midfielder is also capable of playing on the wing just as well, has a lot of experience at the age of 27, he's got a key eye for a pass, he can beat a man and he can finish as well, and he makes the right decisions.

"That would've been arguably our best signing if we'd have pulled it off, but for whatever reason, it just wasn't a viable signing for us.

"Meanwhile, we do have a stacked attacking lineup though, and I think that showed against Hull City. But knowing that the funds were there for a signing of Sallai's quality or even Hamer - the £13m bid we had [rejected for Hamer] - we clearly have the money to buy players and it's a regret that we didn't get that over the line.

The aforementioned duo of Solomon and Ramazani are hugely exciting signings for the Championship, but Rutter glued everything together in Leeds' attack last season.

In spite of fair investment elsewhere, still lack an out-and-out number 10 with a line-breaking creative passing ability, the sheer quality to breeze past opponents and the comfortable elegance in tight pockets of space that the Frenchman incorporated to Daniel Farke's side last term.

Brenden Aaronson has scored twice in Leeds' opening four games and could even win over the Elland Road faithful at some stage, but he is no Rutter - and Sallai would have provided their best chance at filling the void left by the now-Brighton forward.

For that reason, then, it makes perfect sense for Kris to cite Sallai as the club's chief transfer regret of the window.