Leeds United supporters will look at Georginio Rutter's Spurs exploits with frustration

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image

Leeds United's summer transfer window witnessed several high-profile player departures following their Championship play-off final loss last campaign.

Perhaps Whites supporters will have been most upset by the exit of youth academy product Archie Gray, who left for Tottenham Hotspur, while fellow key player Georginio Rutter joined Brighton for a fee of £40m, a new club record for the Seagulls.

Rutter took centre stage on Sunday as the Seagulls locked horns with Spurs in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium on Sunday and will have been disappointed at half-time as his side trailed 2-0.

But by the 58th minute, Fabian Hurzeler's men found themselves level as Rutter scored to make it 2-2 before former Manchester United man Danny Welbeck completed the comeback just eight minutes later.

Leeds fans will look at Rutter's Spurs exploits with frustration

After playing his role in the Seagulls' remarkable comeback against Spurs, the 22-year-old has shown his ability to make a major impact against high-profile opponents in the Premier League, a feat he also managed last month as he opened the scoring during his team's 4-2 loss at Chelsea.

But this is not a quality he showed during his time in the top-flight with the Whites, which may frustrate the Elland Road faithful who saw the former France Under-21 international feature in a Leeds side who were relegated to the Championship.

Rutter arrived in West Yorkshire in January 2023 from German outfit Hoffenheim for a fee of £35.5m, according to Sky Sports, and the then Premier League Whites would have hoped that he could help them stave off the threat of relegation.

Rutter had scored two goals and provided two assists for Hoffenheim in 15 Bundesliga appearances during the 2022/23 season, prior to making his move to England, but was unable to deliver in the Premier League during his Elland Road days.

In fact, the 22-year-old failed to score a single goal in 11 top-flight outings for the Whites, who finished in the bottom three at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

Meanwhile, he seemingly struggled to adjust to life following his transfer and was handed just one league start by his then new club, prior to relegation to the Championship.

But the Seagulls are currently witnessing a much more clinical version of the attacking midfielder, who has now managed two goals in six league appearances for his new club.

The Whites faithful will believe that they may have avoided relegation from the Premier League in 2023 if Rutter was able to establish that sort of form two seasons ago.

Rutter performed well for the Whites in the Championship

Despite failing to make an impact for the Elland Road outfit in the top-flight, the attacking midfielder almost made up for it last campaign, and found himself scoring goals and creating assists on a regular basis.

Rutter scored seven Championship goals last campaign, while creating a more impressive total of 15 assists in the second tier as the Whites landed a top-six spot.

The former Hoffenheim man provided the Whites faithful with plenty of positive memories last campaign, including a goal he scored during an impressive 4-0 win over Norwich City in last season's play-off semi-final.

But sadly for Rutter and the Whites, their chapter together did not receive a happy ending as the West Yorkshire outfit suffered a 1-0 defeat to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May, before the creative ace joined Brighton in the summer.

The Whites fans will now be frustrated to see their side's former star man performing well in the Premier League, having failed to do so consistently in his Elland Road days.