According to reports, Brighton is determined to sign a Leeds United player once more after passing up the enticing attacking prospect earlier in the summer.
Leeds’ heartbreaking defeat to Southampton in the Championship play-off final at Wembley in May prevented them from making an instant return to the Premier League.
If Leeds supporters couldn’t handle that, academy standout Archie Gray was then sent to Tottenham for £40 million in early July. While this allayed their concerns about sustainability and profit, the decision was nonetheless painful to accept.
The Whites anticipate offers for Championship Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville and winger Wilfried Gnonto, who attempted and failed to force a way out of Elland Road early in the previous season before sticking with Daniel Farke’s team.
Furthermore, manager Farke was unable to ensure that either will be present when the team plays Portsmouth in the season opening the following month.
This week, the German stated: “Yes, everything is possible in football because you can never rule anything out.” Since I’m not a magician, I can’t provide any guarantees in that regard.
“I can only judge what I see, and both of them are totally integrated, enjoyable to be around, and hardworking. Even in today’s game, when the opponent attempted to set up some signs, Summerville or Gnonto with numerous tackles was always the first target.
The way they handled it and persisted in getting themselves in good shape demonstrated maturity. Therefore, all I can do is judge what I see—hard effort, dedication, and a positive attitude—and I have every expectation that they will contribute with strong performances similar to those from the previous season.
Georginio Rutter is another individual who might be hard to hang on to. In January 2023, the Frenchman moved from Hoffenheim to Leeds in a transaction that could end up costing £35 million.
The forward saw very little action in the second half of the 2022–2023 season as Leeds were demoted to the Championship; nonetheless, his eight goals and sixteen assists in the previous campaign made him a fan favorite at Elland Road.
This prompted Brighton to make a £30 million deal for the 22-year-old, but 49ers Enterprises, the club’s owners, quickly rejected that offer. The Seagulls are now thinking about making another bid for Rutter. They were also interested in signing Summerville, but they have since cooled their enthusiasm.
Brighton will make a comeback for Rutter.
Football Insider claims that despite their unsuccessful attempt to entice France Under-21 international Rutter to the Amex, they remain unfazed.
Leeds, on the other hand, are in a solid financial position and will only sell on their terms after selling Gray to Spurs. In this case, that might entail paying £35 million or more for the former Rennes player, whose skill and versatility Brighton admires.
Leeds hopes to reenter the Premier League and will do all in its power to hold onto as many of its best players. Although losing Summerville, Rutter, Gray, and Gnonto would severely hurt their prospects of getting promoted, more departures are still possible.
By the way, Summerville, who is linked to West Ham and Liverpool, is worth between £35 and £40 million, while Gnonto, who has Everton and Newcastle United interested, is valued at £25 million.
This transfer window, they have already brought in Joe Rodon from Tottenham on a permanent basis, Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United, Joe Rothwell on loan from Bournemouth for the season, and Alex Cairns from Salford moving to the Whites.
In addition to Gray, Charlie Cresswell left for Toulouse, Marc Roca and Diego Llorente joined Real Betis, while Glen Kamara joined Rennes.
