EXCLUSIVE; Leeds united third big sale of the summer

Rutter is said to have undergone a medical on Friday after the Seagulls activated his £40 million release clause on Wednesday, just hours before Leeds’ 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough at Elland Road.

His exit will mean Leeds become the club with the most amount of money generated in player sales across the whole of Europe this summer, following on from Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville’s big money moves.

With so many key players having now departed, Leeds fans will be hoping and praying that no one else follows Rutter through the exit door in the next 13 days.

There certainly hasn’t been a shortage of interest in some of the other members of Daniel Farke‘s squad, meaning it will be a nervy end to the window at Elland Road.

Leeds’ stance on Wilfried Gnonto after Rutter exit

Wilfried Gnonto, Pascal Struijk, Illan Meslier and Junior Firpo are just some of the other players who have been linked with moves elsewhere.

Of course, some of that interest has been more concrete than others, with Gnonto the only one who would appear a bid has come in for.

Everton saw a £23 million offer rejected for Gnonto earlier in the summer and have not since returned with a fresh approach, though that could change between now and August.

However, according to netsport, Leeds have already made up their mind with what they plan to do with Gnonto in the next 13 days, and that is he will be going no where.

It is said Farke and the hierarchy believe Leeds’ promotion bid would be seriously ‘derailed’ if they were to let Gnonto follow the others out of the exit door and so will block any potential offers.

How Gnonto feels like this is another matter, as he has effectively seen his two closest friends at Leeds move onto the Premier League in the space of two weeks.

Gnonto is now Leeds’ main man

Last season, Gnonto was somewhat of a side piece to the Rutter and Summerville show, with those two the key to Leeds’ attack.

They got 50 goal contributions between them and would often win matches on their own, but now that onus is on the ‘brilliant‘ Gnonto.

He looks set to make that left-wing spot his own, which is where he was so successful during his debut campaign in the Premier League.

The 20-year-old showed exactly what he can do from that position against Portsmouth, and so as long as he feels fully committed to the cause after the last two weeks, he could have a massive season.