Leeds United have had a strong start to life back in the Championship after their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.
Daniel Farke’s side are currently fifth in the table and have only lost two of their 11 league matches ahead of their trip to his former club Norwich at the weekend.
The Whites have scored 17 goals in those 11 games and the emergence of Georginio Rutter, after his struggles last term, has been key to their attacking success.
Premier League 2022/23 | Georginio Rutter (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
Appearances | 11 |
Starts | One |
Sofascore rating | 6.53 |
Goals | Zero |
Assists | One |
This season, the French forward has caught the eye with two goals and three assists in ten Championship appearances. He has also created 2.4 chances per game, which is the second-most of any player within the squad.
However, a former Leeds creator is currently outscoring the former Hoffenheim man in the top division of another country – Samu Saiz.
When did Samu Saiz leave Leeds?
The Spanish wizard left Elland Road to sign for Girona for a fee of up to £3m and it was reported that the player wanted to leave and the club wanted him to go ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
He moved on from England after a return of ten goals and 12 assists across 58 matches in all competitions for the Whites after his move from Huesca in 2017.
Marcelo Bielsa hailed Saiz as a “special” and “creative” player during his time with the talented magician but his return of zero goals and four assists across 19 Championship games during the first half of the 2018/19 campaign led to a loan move to Getafe.
The attacking midfielder spent five months with the Spanish side, which resulted in one goal in ten La Liga outings, before his permanent switch to Girona.
Where is Saiz now?
He is currently playing for Sivasspor in the top-flight of Turkish football after a strong spell with Girona in Spain, where the creative ace scored 12 goals and assisted 17 in 112 outings.
The 32-year-old dynamo produced an eye-catching four goals and four assists in 13 Super Lig appearances last term, and contributed with 2.5 key passes per match, as per Sofacore.
Saiz has continued to impress in Turkey this season and has outscored Rutter during the 2023/24 campaign with three goals in eight league games so far.
The former Leeds star, who has provided 1.8 key passes per game this term, is currently shining in a top-tier league, albeit outside of Europe’s top five divisions, and is showing that he still has what it takes to make a huge impact in the final third in spite of his age.
Only Joel Piroe (five) has scored more than two Championship goals for Leeds so far this season, and this highlights how impressive the Spanish gem’s return for Sivasspor has been.
He has proven himself to be a big goalscoring threat from midfield and his performances during the 2022/23 campaign for the Turkish side show that Saiz also has the invention and quality to rival Rutter’s creative output this term.
