Leeds United: Georginio Rutter must do more to show Daniel Farke he can become Patrick Bamford successor
The players looking to impress new Leeds United manager Daniel Farke ahead of the new Championship campaign have just two more matches to do so.
The Whites take on Nottingham Forest and Hearts in their final two pre-season clashes, having already played against Manchester United and Monaco.
And one player that is definitely involved in trying to impress Farke is young striker Georginio Rutter, who has failed to hit the heights expected of him since arriving for a club-record £35.5million from Hoffenheim in January.
The 21-year-old couldn’t find the back of the net in any of his 13 Whites appearances last season as he struggled to find his feet in England.
But he has been given a chance by his new manager, with Farke opting to start the youngster as a lone striker in the clashes with Manchester United and Monaco.
Leeds Live journalist William Jackson believes Rutter has done relatively well so far in pre-season, but has suggested more work needs to be done if he has any chance of stealing a starting spot from Patrick Bamford next season.
“Leeds know they have to strengthen their attacking ranks, but Patrick Bamford appears to be Rutter’s chief competition for a spot leading the line at present, with Joe Gelhardt another option,” Jackson wrote for Leeds Live.
“Bamford has the experience and the know-how having helped Leeds out of the second tier before, but if Rutter can underline his threat and potential in the coming days, he’ll certainly give the manager something to mull over.”
Bamford hasn’t exactly shone in the final third in recent times either, with the 29-year-old netting six goals in all competitions last season.
He once again struggled with injury, but looks likely to be Farke’s leading man in the upcoming campaign. The striker boasts plenty of Championship experience, which certainly works in his favour and not Rutter’s.
The youngster still has a lot to learn, but Bamford may just serve as a fantastic role model to help the struggling Rutter find his feet at Elland Road.
The ideal scenario will then be that he can one day become Bamford’s successor at the West Yorkshire club, with the added boost of that scenario involving Leeds being a Premier League team.
In other Leeds United news, Kalvin Phillips has sent a six-word message after the latest Whites transfer exit news.