Lyon really want to sign Georginio Rutter from Leeds United amid PSG transfer news
Ligue 1 giants Lyon have a “strong interest” in singing Leeds United forward Georginio Rutter, according to Telefoot.
The French outlet reported (27 August) that amid fears they will lose their 20-year-old star Bradley Barcola to Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon are seeking his replacement and have identified the Frenchman who netted against Ipswich on Saturday (26 August).
Rutter moved to Yorkshire in January for a club-record fee of £36million but struggled to score for Leeds United in the Premier League.
In demand
Leeds will be unlikely to let their record signing leave after just six months unless a significant fee is offered for the 21-year-old.
Rutter for his first-ever Leeds goal against Ipswich but has ultimately failed to live up to his huge price tag since arriving at Elland Road. However, Leeds would be keen on retaining his services and would hope he can build his confidence and improve his finishing in the Championship.
Rumours regarding his move away from Leeds have been prevalent across the summer, with Kicker reporting (1 August) that Bundesliga sides TSG Hoffenheim and SC Freiburg were interested in a loan move for Rutter.
While his Leeds future was in doubt, he has featured in three of the Whites’ four fixtures so far this season. Leeds have made their position regarding outgoings very clear this summer and will not offload any players unless their valuation is met.
They lost plenty of first-team quality players, including Marc Roca and Brenden Aaronson, to relegation release clauses that allowed many players to leave on loan and are keen to keep as many Premier League-level stars as possible.
They made an example out of Willy Gnonto, who returned to training and the squad following his attempts to force an exit. While Rutter has been more professional than the Italian, the offer to move to the likes of Lyon could be tough to turn down.
However, unless Lyon are willing to splash big money on Rutter, Leeds will be reluctant to sell their all-time most expensive signing.
In other Leeds news, Phil Hay has shared an injury update following what happened against Ipswich.