Leeds United would be open to letting Georginio Rutter leave this week providing they ‘recoup’ the entirety of their January investment in him.
That is according to Sky Sports, who report Lyon are now ‘exploring the possibility’ of a deal for the 21-year-old with the Leeds man top of their shortlist.
Lyon are in the market for potential replacements for star forward Bradley Barcola, who has been linked with a host of Europe’s elite clubs.
Barcola has made it clear he wants to depart Lyon this summer amid interest from PSG and Chelsea, with the former said to be leading the race for his signature.
It is said that Lyon will have to submit an offer for Rutter that does not see Leeds making a loss, with the Whites having broken their transfer record to sign him from Hoffenheim in January for around £35 million.
Lyon ‘exploring’ Rutter deal, Leeds open to sale if money is recouped
A potential stumbling block in a deal is that Lyon have never spent more than £21.4 million on any single player in their history.
That would mean they would have to almost double their record transfer in order to complete a deal for Rutter, which feels unlikely.
It would be a real shame if Leeds were to lose Rutter at this stage of the window with the Frenchman finally getting a regular opportunity to shine at Elland Road.
Rutter finally netted his first goal for the club in a 4-3 win over Ipswich Town at the weekend, in what was comfortably his best performance in a white shirt.
Lyon are also yet to sanction the sale of Barcola at this point anyway, and a potential move is likely to hinge on that getting done.
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