Danny Murphy has indicated that Brighton paid far too much money to Leeds United for an inconsistent and unpredictable player like Georginio Rutter in the summer.
Leeds were left shocked when Brighton decided to trigger the release clause in Rutter’s contract to snare him away from Elland Road towards the end of the last transfer window.
The Whites were not expecting to lose the Frenchman who was one of the stars of the Leeds team that came within a whisker of being promoted to the Premier League last season.
Brighton splashed out £40m to take the attacker to the Amex Stadium while leaving Leeds searching for a replacement late in the transfer window.
However, Murphy is not sure about the wisdom behind spending so much money on the former Leeds star.
Danny Murphy feels the inconsistencies of Georginio Rutter don’t justify his price tag
Rutter scored eight times and registered 16 assists for Leeds in all competitions last season but his previous experience in the Premier League was nothing to write home about.
The Frenchman struggled to get into the team when he joined Leeds in January 2023 and did little to stop their slide to the Championship.
Murphy admitted that given Brighton’s reputation of being smart operators in the transfer market, it was a surprise that they decided to gamble big on a player who is wildly unpredictable and inconsistent.
“What surprised me is what they spent on Rutter from Leeds”, the former midfielder said on talkSPORT.
“I have seen quite a lot of him; he is talented but he is unpredictable and inconsistent.
“No [he is not worth it], as that’s a hell of lot of money on a player who was on the Leeds bench a lot.”
Rutter looked out of place in the Premier League previously
Rutter has made two appearances in the Premier League from the bench for Brighton since leaving Leeds last month and is yet to register a goal contribution.
While it’s too early to pass judgment on his performances in Brighton colours, he did look a fish out of the water when he played in the Premier League for Leeds previously.
The Frenchman joined Leeds in tumultuous times in January 2023 with the club frequently changing managers after a few years of stability under Marcelo Bielsa.
Sam Allardyce, who was briefly in charge of the Whites towards the end of that campaign, more or less indicated that the attacker was not ready for the Premier League.
He made just one start in the top flight in the second half of the 2022/23 season before proving his worth for Leeds in the Championship.
