Georginio Rutter exit from Leeds United mooted after what happened at Wembley
Beren Cross believes a loan exit for Georginio Rutter, rather than a permanent sale, is the “most likely route” for Leeds United if they need his wages off their books.
Leeds’ play-off final defeat to Southampton at Wembley on Sunday (26 April) has led to inevitable talk of many players departing Elland Road over the coming weeks.
Club-record signing Rutter is an obvious contender to move on, but no team is likely to come close to matching the fee United splashed out to sign him 16 months ago.
In an article discussing possible exits for Leeds Live [27 May], journalist Cross said of Rutter: “If Georginio Rutter wanted to leave, and that doesn’t seem likely based on his demeanour and joy for long spells of this season, he seems an unlikely sell for the Whites.
“They would surely make a significant loss on the £35m they spent last year and that would be hugely damaging for their financial fair play picture.
“If Rutter wanted to leave or the club desperately needed his wages off the books, a loan seems the most likely route, but it would be no surprise if he stayed to fight again.”
Will Georginio Rutter be leaving Leeds United?
It is quite clear that Leeds will have to sell players this summer to finance another 12 months of second-tier football. Factor in the loan players returning to their parent clubs, and the squad is going to be massively depleted.
The loss to Southampton is still raw and that will be the case for a while longer yet. However, even accounting for the multiple exits, there will still be a large number of very talented players at Elland Road come September.
Rutter, assuming no bid of £25million or more is made, will likely lead the line once again. There are others, like Ethan Ampadu and proven scorer at this level Joel Piroe, who also look set to stay.
While the picture may look bleak, some smart business over the next three months will ensure Leeds will be one of the favourites to go up this time next year. Supporters therefore need to keep the faith.
In other Leeds news, one transfer-linked star was spotted at Wembley in new fan footage.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.