Leeds United reject £30m Premier League bid for key striker ahead of pre-season

A £30m bid for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Georginio Rutter has been rejected by Leeds United. LeedsLive understands that the offer from the Seagulls was rejected in the last 48 hours by the Whites hierarchy.

The weekend and the start of this week was dominated by talks with Tottenham Hotspur, which finally saw Archie Gray and Joe Rodon trade places ahead of the new season. While those talks were going on, the East Sussex outfit tested the water with a bid for Rutter.

Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto have been the names of attackers linked outside West Yorkshire with transfers this summer, but Rutter, despite registering 16 assists in the past year, has seen no such speculation. Rutter remains the club’s record signing after arriving from Hoffenheim last year for around £35million.

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United’s picture of profitability and sustainability was not in a desperate state ahead of the June 30 deadline, but Brighton have tested United’s resolve in recent weeks. The bid for Rutter comes after informal inquiries about Summerville’s position, but their offer did not tick the club’s or the winger’s boxes on a transfer.

Rutter turned up for pre-season at Thorp Arch today with the vast majority of the playing squad Daniel Farke currently has on the books. The 22-year-old has four years remaining on his contract and is set to play another key role for Farke in their 2025 promotion push.

With Brenden Aaronson returning to play a role at Elland Road next term, there is the possibility that Rutter could be trialled in a wider role, as he played at Hoffenheim, by Farke. Time will tell how the Germans’ strongest line-up will shake out on September 1st.