Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly activated the release clause in the contract of Leeds United forward Georginio Rutter.
The Seagulls are beginning a new era under 31-year-old head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who has succeeded Roberto De Zerbi to become the youngest manager in Premier League history.
Brighton have been busy in the summer transfer window, spending in excess of £100m on six new players who have all joined on permanent deals.
Brajan Gruda was unveiled as Brighton's latest signing from Mainz 05 for £25m on Wednesday, while Mats Wieffer, Malick Yalcouye, Amario Cozier-Duberry and Ibrahim Osman have also joined the club.
Arguably their standout arrival thus far is the club-record addition of winger Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle United for £33m, but Brighton could soon be breaking that record for a second time this summer.
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Rutter to weigh up big-money Brighton move
Indeed, The Athletic reports that Brighton have activated the £40m release clause in the contract of Leeds forward Rutter, who has been a top target for the Seagulls throughout this summer.
Leeds are said to have previously rejected bids of £29m and £35m from Brighton before they opted to met the terms of Rutter's release clause on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old still has four years remaining on his contract at Elland Road and is it now up to him to decide whether or not he should make the big-money switch to the Premier League.
Rutter made himself available for selection on Wednesday as Leeds suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough in the first round of the EFL Cup.
The Frenchman is said to have 'behaved in an exemplary manner throughout' amid Brighton's interest and he is regarded as an extremely popular figure at Elland Road.
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Rutter excelled under Farke in 2023-24
At a time when Leeds were fighting for their lives at the wrong end of the Premier League table, Rutter joined the West Yorkshire club in January 2023 for a club-record £35m.
The versatile forward, who can operate as a number 10 or as a central striker, struggled to live up to his hefty price tag and failed to score in 11 top-flight appearances as Leeds suffered relegation to the Championship.
However, Daniel Farke transformed Rutter into an integral first-team player last season, with the Frenchman recording seven goals and 15 assists in 48 Championship games as Leeds finished third and lost in the playoff final - only Ipswich Town's Leif Davis (21) registered more second-tier assists than Rutter.
In a bid to ease their financial concerns, Leeds have already cashed in on some of their star players from last season, most notably Crysensio Summerville and Archie Gray who have joined West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.
Leeds will hope that Rutter opts to stay at the club this summer, but a return to the Premier League with a progressive club in the form of Brighton could be too good to turn down for the forward.
Oliver Thomas
