Now that Leeds United have signed Georginio Rutter, it remains to be seen how much more money the club will spend in January.
Still, they have added a very good forward to their squad, one whom Jesse Marsch will hope will provide the drive needed to get the Elland Road side as far away from the relegation zone as possible.
That’s why Leeds spent so much money on him, and there will be a few expectations surrounding him because of his price tag.
One thing that the Premier League side will not have to worry about, however, is him being a troublesome player, as explained by some of his former coaches.
Ouest-France, following the transfer, decided to go talk to those who helped mould Rutter into who he is today, including Sébastien Diverres, who working with him at AS Ménimur, where the forward stayed until he was 12.
He said: “I especially remember his exemplary behaviour. If we’d asked him to play in goal or as a defender, he would have accepted. I’ve never heard him criticise a teammate or a referee. He always had a smile.”
This carried on throughout his teenage years, as Stéphane Medoc who worked with him at Vannes OC, said: “He was charming, respectful. A very good kid, well brought up. Even if he was a leader, he never made it about himself. He was a great teammate.”
He added: “When we need a shirt, whether it be Rennes, Hoffenheim or the France team for a raffle, we can always count on him. I sometimes send him messages from time to time. He always takes the time to get back to me.”
As for whether he’ll be a success at Leeds, he said: “I don’t know if he will succeed. I’m not competent enough to know that, but from what I’ve heard, there’s no reason why not.”
This was echoed by Medoc: “I thought he would have continued in Germany. Now, he arrives on a whole new planet with numbers that can make your head spin. Football wise, he can do it. The capacity of putting in the effort all the time in a tougher league. You also have to look at the context. He’s arriving at a club that’s fighting against relegation.”
