Phil Hay: Leeds United made £10m FFP decision on Georginio Rutter after agent phone call
Borussia Dortmund’s £20million offer for Georginio Rutter was rejected as Leeds United did not want the subsequent loss to impact their financial fair play position, according to Phil Hay.
Writing for The Athletic (29 September), Hay noted that while the Whites were not keen to depart with the Frenchman following relegation regardless, the club did not want to foot the £10million loss on the forward after parting with £30million to buy him from Hoffenheim last season.
A Dortmund agent made the call to Leeds regarding Rutter to determine his availability after dropping into the Championship, but due to a lack of a relegation release clause and the 21-year-old appearing committed to the club, he was kept.
Smart
Leeds’ decision to keep Rutter was an intelligent move from the board both financially and for the squad.
Rutter is the Whites’ record transfer, but he struggled to justify his £30million price tag in the Premier League between when he signed in January 2023 and the end of the season.
Hay also noted that, as far as Daniel Farke was concerned, Rutter was keen to remain in Yorkshire to prove to the club that his heavy price tag was justified. While it is still early in the Championship season and his Leeds career, the Frenchman has emerged as one of Elland Road’s most influential and prolific bodies.
With two goals and two assists in the second division this season, including a remarkable performance against Watford (23 September), Rutter is beginning to show what £30million can pay for.
Dortmund seemingly sought to exploit Leeds’ relegation to bring Rutter back to the Bundesliga, but his attitude and desire to prove himself speaks volumes to the type of player he is.
Fortunately for the Whites, Rutter had no relegation release clause in his contract, which saw the likes of Marc Roca and Rasmus Kristensen depart for top-flight clubs, meaning they were in a much stronger position to keep him.
In a decision that’s clearly paid off, Leeds now retains a high-value asset that will likely be sold for much more than the German side’s £20million offer.
In other Leeds United news, Joe Gelhardt may be closer to an Elland Road exit after a news update.