Leeds United target Georginio Rutter looks set to miss Hoffenheim’s next Bundesliga match, with his proposed move to Elland Road on the verge of being completed, according to French outlet L’Equipe.
The Whites are set to complete their second signing of the January transfer window after securing the services of Red Bull Salzburg defender Maximilian Wober
According to Sky Sports [10 January], the club are close to securing the signature of French-born striker Rutter for a club-record fee of £35.3m, with talks at an advanced stage for the 20-year-old and a medical expected in the next couple of days.
According to L’Equipe [10 January], the forward is set to miss Hoffenheim’s Bundesliga resumption with Union Berlin on 21 January with a move to Yorkshire getting closer.
The report also states that the Whites have offered the French-born forward an important role in the team before letting him go to a more “upscale club” in the future, similar to what they achieved with Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.
Great model
It’s a great model the Leeds board and recruitment staff are exhibiting right now, with the club acquiring young, fresh and hungry talents, providing them with a platform and environment to grow and develop before selling them for considerable fees in the future.
It is a model that builds a sustainable future for the Whites as well as becoming an attractive option for any young footballer looking to make their trade in the Premier League.
The signings of Tyler Adams, Wilfried Gnonto, Brendan Aaronson and the upcoming addition of Rutter are perfect examples of the kind of vibrant and exciting deals that the club are going for, and it’s something which should be seen as a long-term project.
However, in order to continue this impressive theme in the long term, the club must ensure they are a steady and consistent Premier League side. And that idea is coming under threat right now considering their current standing in the Premier League table.
Relegation will not help matters at all, and the fact that Marsch is considerably being backed in the market shows the club are serious about being a top-level and attractive English top-flight side as well as their belief in the former Leipzig coach to be the man to lead them into that new era.
The pressure is on the American to reap the fruits of that backing, or else if their inconsistent form continues in the coming weeks, Marsch’s position at the helm could become untenable.
