Leeds United forward Georginio Rutter will be among the stars to draw interest from elsewhere if the club miss out on promotion, reporter Pete O’Rourke has said.
Leeds United are embroiled in a massive fight at the top of the table with Leicester City and Ipswich Town. Any of the three sides could end as Championship title winners, but one will be forced to play out the campaign in the play-offs.
Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys sit top of the Championship table after a late comeback over Southampton on Monday evening. The Whites moved one place and one point behind them with a win over Hull City later in the night, while the Foxes came from behind to beat Norwich City too.
The latter sit 3rd but hold a game in hand, and winning that would move them a point ahead of Ipswich.
No one at Elland Road will want to be drawn on the matter, but in such a competitive promotion fight, there is a chance they fall short. And if that proves to be the case, key men will draw attention.
Speaking on the matter on Football Insider’s Inside Track Podcast, reporter Pete O’Rourke has said that star forward Georginio Rutter will be among those to draw interest if a return to the Premier League doesn’t come to fruition. He said:
“If Leeds do miss out on promotion, there will be interest in Rutter and other top players at the club. The likes of Gnonto and Summerville will also be wanted elsewhere if that is the case.
If they do miss out, there will be interest – and that’s the difference when you’re not playing at the highest level. Leeds would find themselves susceptible to offers for their star players if they don’t go up.”
Becoming a star
Rutter struggled to make an impact in his first six months at Leeds United as the Whites were relegated from the Premier League. Upon entering the second-tier of English football, many may have expected the talent Frenchman to be among those who would depart.
However, he remained and quickly emerged as a key part of Daniel Farke’s side. Seven goals and 18 assists in 42 games across all competitions have seen him emerge as one of the most important players at Elland Road.
A return of that magnitude will surely draw admiring glances from elsewhere. That will certainly be the case if disaster strikers and Leeds United miss out on promotion, but a rise to the top-flight might not be enough to prevent interest either.
He’s one of a number of mercurial talents at Elland Road who have caught the eye and interest could be on the cards regardless of how the promotion push ends.
