(Football news) Leeds United are closing in on a deal for Hoffenheim forward Georgino Rutter. The Whites are locked in talks with Hoffenheim and are set to pay a club-record fee in order to land the French Under-21 international. Rutter subsequently joined Hoffenheim in 2021 for a mere transfer fee of £500,000 from Rennes, and now they are set to make a huge profit with Leeds preparing to pay around £30m plus add ons to get the deal done. According to sources they have confirmed that Rutter’s has agreed personal terms and Hoffenheim did not play him in their winter break friendly with Wolfsburg this weekend.
Hoffenheim director of football Alexander Rosen has admitted that they had little choice but to rest him, which simply implies that a transfer is done and dusted. Leeds have already bought Austrian defender Max Wober and are backing manager Jesse Marsch as they battle against being dragged into another Premier League relegation battle. Rutter this season has scored 2 goals in 17 games in all competitions this season and has an overall record of 11 goals in 64 appearances for Hoffenhiem.
A deal for the U21 international is going to be worth up to €40m (£35.3m) which is going to surpass the club’s current transfer record fee of £27m that they paid for Rodrigo from Valencia in August 2020. He emerged as an impressive prospect last season with 20 substitute appearances among his 33 total Bundesliga outings but now he has broken into the playing XI as he made 11 starts while taking part in all 15 league fixtures to this point. The six-foot tall striker also has two assists to show for this campaign, but boasts an impressive ability to dribble and act as a playmaker in the final third which has done enough to catch the eye.
“Ultimately we have to decide what is best for TSG Hoffenheim under the given circumstances,” said Rosen. “It is also important to include the thoughts of Georginio and those around him, because after all we are not talking about a piece of furniture here, but about the future of a young person.”
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