How much Leeds will have to pay Hoffenheim after agreeing to sell Georginio Rutter to Brighton for £40m — Leeds United News 16/8/24
Danny Bloomer
Hoffenheim also look set to benefit from Georginio Rutter’s
£40 million switch from Leeds United to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Rutter looks set to undergo a medical any moment now after
Brighton agreed to activate his release clause just hours before Leeds’ 3-0
defeat to Middlesbrough.
Having also lost Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray,
Leeds were desperate to convince Rutter to stay, even looking to tempt him with
the offer of a new deal.
However, Rutter has turned down Leeds’ advances in favour of
a return to the Premier League and Daniel Farke confirmed there were some
emotional goodbyes on Thursday morning.
Rutter’s move will make him the second most expensive
Championship sale of all time, with Romeo Lavia’s transfer to Chelsea last
summer the only one higher.
Including add-ons, Leeds‘ deal to sign Rutter from
Hoffenheim in January 2023 was worth a total of £35.5 million.
According to David Ornstein, though, the initial fee was
actually £25 million, with a new report from Kicker adding to that in
confirming Leeds didn’t get near to reaching the extra bonuses.
However, with Leeds agreeing to sell Rutter just 20 months
into a five-and-a-half-year deal, that will now change to the benefit of
Hoffenheim.
It is said Leeds now owe Hoffenheim £4.2 million (€5
million) in one full payment, meaning the Whites will actually get closer to
£35 million, rather than the £40 million reported.
At this stage, it is unclear whether any kind of sell-on
clause was also included in the deal between Leeds and Hoffenheim, as that
would mean the German side are then due even more money.
After holding talks with the club about Rutter’s situation,
LUFC Trust released a statement confirming that it was the player’s wish to
have this relegation release clause in his contract.
It is not that part which is baffling, though, but the
valuation of it. Leeds spent £35.5 million to sign Rutter from Hoffenheim in
January 2023, so in what world would a £40 million release clause represent
good business?
Rutter was just 20 at the time of his arrival and so clearly
Leeds viewed him as a player with big potential. It is difficult to understand
why they would then put a clause in which generates such little profit.
Unlike many of the other clauses that have been seen since
relegation, 49ers cannot hide behind the previous regime’s mistakes.
According to David Ornstein at the time of Rutter’s arrival,
it was the 49ers who played a key role in ensuring the deal got over the line,
meaning they are very much responsible for this clause.