Cards in favour of Leeds United on Georginio Rutter transfer exit to Premier League – Adam Pope
Leeds United have the cards in their “favour” when it comes to Georginio Rutter possibly leaving for the Premier League in January, according to Adam Pope.
The BBC Leeds journalist spoke on the Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet podcast on 30 October, after another stand-out display from the Frenchman against Huddersfield, to assess the possibility of a midseason exit and said the club are “not keen to let him go at this stage”.
He said that the only way he could leave would be if the Whites don’t lose any money on his club-record £35.5million fee [Sky Sports, 15 January] but both Pope and BBC colleague Jonny Buchan expressed doubt that top flight clubs will make a run at him this winter if he isn’t scoring regularly.
Buchan asked (10m 30s): “Is he doing enough for a Premier League club to come in for him? He’s playing brilliantly, we all know that, but is he doing enough for a Premier League club to come in, and would they be able to afford him that licence?
“Because he didn’t really do it in the Premier League so surely they’re basing their opinion on that rather than on his Championship form.”
Pope added: “From his own point of view he is building his confidence at Leeds, in a side that’s obviously going places at the moment and, who knows, could end up getting promoted.
“This is going to be a great step in his career if this goes the right way so stay there. But if an offer comes in it has to be where Leeds don’t lose any money obviously.
“They’re not keen to let him go at this stage so I think the cards are in Leeds’ favour, because if he isn’t banging goals in is a Premier League club going to look at him in January and think, ‘You’re going to save our season’?
“He’s going to be looking at that end of the Premier League at this stage rather than the top end.”
Don’t spoil it now
If Victor Orta was inspired to roll the dice on an expensive deal for Rutter last winter then clearly there is scope for another club to do the same a year later.
Rutter showed next to nothing in the top flight last term as he didn’t seen ready to be dropped into a rescue job midway through the campaign, and the revolving cast of managers he had to play for increasingly discounted him as an option.
He has rebounded in a big way this season, albeit at a lower level, and looks to be playing with a huge amount of confidence now.
There didn’t seem to be any of the urgency to jump ship from the 21-year-old in the summer, in stark contrast to most of the players brought in over the past year.
So while it can’t be totally ruled out it does seem unlikely that he would risk putting himself back in the same situation he was at the start of the year when he has progressed so well recently.
It certainly appears that he is in the best place for him at Leeds United with Daniel Farke in charge and a developing side performing well with him at the centre of it, and fans will hope he feels the same.
In other Leeds United news, one of Rutters’ teammates has been named as the “most high-profile” potential departure, with a warning that it could derail the promotion bid.