"Quite a confusing deal" - Leeds United, Georginio Rutter transfer verdict offered after Sam Allardyce claim | OneFootball

Leeds signed Georginio Rutter for a club-record fee in 2023, which FLW's Whites fan pundit has discussed following the player's Brighton switch

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Georginio Rutter was among a series of high-profile Leeds United exits across the summer transfer window, having arrived as the club's record signing in January 2023.

After falling short just 90 minutes away from securing an immediate return to the Premier League in last season's Championship play-off final defeat against Southampton, Leeds' player retention power was weakened as top-flight clubs zoned in on Elland Road and prized away a host of assets.

Glen Kamara left for Rennes while Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Rutter all sealed Premier League moves for significant fees, although Daniel Farke has managed to offset those departures somewhat.

Rutter's sensational form in the 2023/24 Championship campaign prompted Brighton and Hove Albion to trigger his £40m release clause, which had been inserted in the deal to bring him from Hoffenheim to West Yorkshire last year.

There have been conflicting reports pertaining to just how much Leeds forked out for Rutter, though it is claimed that the Whites stumped up an initial £25m fee with a further £10m in add-ons.

Leeds United, Georginio Rutter transfer verdict offered

Mixed opinions have been expressed about the deal although Football League World's resident Leeds fan pundit Kris Smith believes the club were eventually vindicated in their investment, despite Rutter having struggled for form and minutes when they signed him in their Premier League relegation battle.

"Obviously we spent a fee rising to £36m on Georginio Rutter and as much as I thought he was a good player and tipped Leeds to sign him before he joined, I think it was quite a confusing deal given the money we put down for him and what we were crying out for in that relegation battle in the Premier League," Kris explained to Football League World.

"It was obvious he had the talent to make it work at Leeds and he had the skill as well, but it was a bizarre one when we just needed an out-and-out goalscorer upfront.

"I don't think it helped that Sam Allardyce came in for the last four games and ostracised him, saying that he 'wasn't ready' for the Premier League. That did sort of suggest to a lot of fans that we made a mistake in signing him, but then the next season followed on in the Championship and he was immense.

"Performances most weeks were outstanding, albeit he did struggle towards the end of the season whether it was fitness or just the whole team around him struggling, but he was a key reason for why we came so close to promotion.

"Him staying would've been superb but the fact Brighton put down £40m for him does indicate that we were potentially right to have valued him that highly in the first place. If Brighton are paying that much money for someone, they're probably worth that much.

"It's just a shame that we never got to saw £36m worth of Rutter, even if he was a player to get you off your seat every week."

Georginio Rutter has proved Leeds United doubters wrong

Rutter had been written off by some, and there is little getting away from the fact that it was indeed a questionable move at the time.

Kris is right to allude to that, as Leeds needed an experienced head with a prolific track record and the ability to instantly acclimatise, as opposed to somebody like Rutter, who is more naturally gifted than any striker they would have alternatively signed but required time to adapt before producing his best form.

Ex-Whites boss Allardyce, who had the shortest permanent managerial reign in Premier League history at the back-end of that season, put it more bluntly.

"He wasn’t good enough," Allardyce recently told the Under The Cosh podcast when quizzed on Rutter.

"I just couldn’t believe they paid that much money for him. Under those circumstances he was too young. Coming in and playing in a struggling side in the Premier League that young was a lot to ask."

Whether Rutter was simply not good enough remains open to interpretation.

The silky French forward had already shown enough elsewhere to convince Leeds to spend a sizable sum on his services, so the talent was there. Not being physically and/or mentally ready for the rigors of the Premier League is another matter entirely, though.

Nonetheless, it would be a fair assessment to say that Leeds' decision has since been vindicated even if a more immediate option could have made all the difference during the relegation dogfight.

Rutter was superb last term and orchestrated a pivotal role in Leeds ending up inches away from promotion, earning a move to a shrewd and upwardly-mobile Premier League club for a fee greater than the Whites' investment.

Supporters would have liked to see Rutter consistently play in the Premier League given just how much the club paid, but Leeds have received profit and fantastic memories of seeing the 22-year-old at full throttle, too. He should go on to have a glittering career and they will certainly be watching his development closely.