Georginio Rutter ‘Said Goodbye’ to Leeds Staff This Morning
Georginio Rutter is set to leave Leeds United and join Brighton after saying goodbye to his teammates, Daniel Farke has confirmed.
The French forward started the opening Championship game of the season which ended 3-3 against Portsmouth, but now looks set for a move to the Premier League after the Seagulls triggered a £40million release clause just hours before it was due to expire.
Rutter has now agreed personal terms to quit Elland Road just 18 months after joining from Hoffenheim in a club-record deal, and manager Farke has confirmed that despite the club’s best efforts to keep him he will be leaving in the coming days.
Georginio Rutter to Move to Brighton
£40m release clause triggered and player has agreed move
After struggling to see the pitch in his first six months at Elland Road, Rutter became a key member of the squad under Farke and registered a team-high 16 assists in the 2023/24 season.
That form has seen him become a target for Brighton, who had a £30million bid rejected earlier in the transfer window. But the Seagulls have now returned with a £40million bid which took the situation out of Leeds’ hands, and they have convinced the player to make the move.
But while a deal isn’t completely done yet, Farke has confirmed that he expects confirmation to come in the next 48 hours after Rutter said his goodbyes on Thursday morning.
In some more positive news for Elland Road fans, Leeds have been handed a boost in their bid to strengthen their attack after Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s loan move to Sheffield United “hit a snag”.
The 21-year-old winger looked set for a move to Bramall Lane but some paperwork has not been signed on his side of the deal, which has sparked worry that he may be having second thoughts.
Leeds had a £15million bid rejected by Crystal Palace as they don’t want to sell him permanently, but the club could now look to return to agree a loan bid with the door open after losing Rutter unexpectedly.
