Brighton sign Rutter from Leeds in record £40m deal

Brighton have completed the signing of Leeds forward Georginio Rutter, the Premier League club have announced. The 22-year-old has signed a five-year contract with the south-coast club after moving for a reported club-record £40m fee.
The France Under-21 international scored eight goals and contributed 16 assists last season for Leeds, the team he joined from Hoffenheim in January last year.
The Brighton head coach, Fabian Hürzeler, said: “Georginio is a player who has the capabilities to get fans off their seats and really showed what he can do in English football with Leeds last season, but I have known about him since he played in Germany for Hoffenheim. Now we have to integrate him into the team. We’re looking forward to working with him.”
Rutter is Brighton’s seventh signing of the summer transfer window. He came through the youth ranks at Rennes before breaking into their first team in 2020 and then moving to Hoffenheim the following year. He was relegated from the Premier League with Leeds in 2023 but shone for the club in the Championship last term.
Brighton’s technical director, David Weir, said: “Georginio is a player we have been looking at for a while. He’s a strong technical player and one we are excited to bring to the club. We look forward to seeing him continue to develop with us.”