Brighton Secures Georginio Rutter in Record £40m Deal

Brighton and Hove Albion have signed Georginio Rutter from Leeds United for a club-record fee of £40m. The 22-year-old becomes Brighton's seventh signing this summer, with a contract until June 2029.

Brighton and Hove Albion announced the acquisition of Georginio Rutter from Leeds United on a contract running until June 2029 for a record fee of £40m, as reported by Sky Sports. The 22-year-old marks Brighton's seventh signing of the current summer transfer window.

The club reportedly activated a £40m release clause to secure Rutter's move to the south coast. Originating from the youth ranks of Stade Rennais, Rutter debuted in Ligue 1 in September 2020 with a 3-0 victory over Saint-Etienne.

Rutter transferred to TSG Hoffenheim in February 2021, scoring 11 goals in 64 matches before joining Leeds United in January 2023 for a record fee. At Leeds, he made 51 appearances, netting eight goals and providing 16 assists.

Brighton's first-team head coach Fabian Hurzeler expressed his excitement, stating, "Georginio is a player who can excite fans and demonstrated his abilities last season with Leeds. We are eager to integrate him into our squad." Technical director David Weir added, "We have been monitoring Georginio for some time. He is a strong technical player and we are thrilled to bring him onboard."

Leeds United acknowledged Rutter's departure, noting that despite efforts to retain him, his exit clause was activated and he expressed a strong desire to leave. Prior to Rutter, Brighton signed Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer, Ibrahim Osman, Malick Junior Yalcouye, and Amario Cozier-Duberry.

(With inputs from agencies.)