Leeds could find their next Rutter in swoop for “exciting” £6m magician

Leeds United have not allowed their relegation from the Premier League to hold any long-lasting effects as they have quickly instilled a winning mentality this season.

German head coach Daniel Farke was brought in over the summer to lead the team back to the top-flight at the first time of asking and has enjoyed a strong start to life in Yorkshire.

The Whites are currently third in the Championship after 16 matches and sit eight points adrift of the automatic promotion places, with Ipswich and Leicester on 39 points.

They have won nine and only lost three of their league matches this term, having dropped out of the top-flight earlier this year, and the emergence of Georginio Rutter has played a key role in their success.

The French wizard has finally hit his stride in a Whites shirt after a difficult five months in the Premier League as Farke has found the perfect role to get the best out of his creative talent.

Leeds’ head coach could now look to the January transfer window to find his next version of the ex-Bundesliga ace by reigniting his swoop for Queens Park Rangers forward Ilias Chair.

How much Ilias Chair could cost Leeds

Journalist Darren Witcoop reported over the summer that the Whites attempted to secure a last-gasp deal to land the Morocco international from their Championship rivals.

The club were said to be willing to meet QPR’s £6m valuation of the talented winger but they came in too late and did not provide the London-based outfit with enough time to find a replacement, which meant that a deal was not sanctioned.

League leaders Leicester were also keen on the right-footed magician but they needed outgoings before they could swoop for his services, and there was no mention of them being willing to match the £6m fee.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds are prepared to go back in for Chair in the upcoming January transfer window but he could be a fantastic addition to the squad if Farke is able to get the best out of him, as he has done with Rutter.

The France U21 international was brought in by former sporting director Victor Orta for ex-manager Jesse Marsch in January for a club-record £35.5m from Hoffenheim.

He made 11 Premier League appearances during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign. In that time, the young ace only contributed with one assist as the big-money purchase failed to get his name on the scoresheet in a top-flight match for the club.

His disappointing performances at that level was a concern, given the money spent on his services at the start of the year, and there may have been question marks over his long-term suitability for the Whites heading into this season due to his poor start.

However, those questions have been emphatically answered this term with his sensational Championship performances for the club so far.

Rutter’s season in numbers

The 21-year-old maestro has proven himself to be a fantastic creative talent at this level and has been utilised in a hybrid forward role by Farke.

He starts as the lone centre-forward with Joel Piroe behind him but has been given the license to drop back and collect the ball in deep positions to then drive further up the pitch to make things happen in the final third.

As shown in the table above, his last outing in a Leeds shirt, which came last weekend, highlighted his qualities. Rutter used his ability to dribble past players and create chances for his teammates.

The Whites number 24 has consistently delivered that type of performance throughout the season so far as he has produced three goals and five assists in 15 Championship appearances.

Rutter has provided his teammates with a staggering 15 ‘big chances’ and made 2.6 key passes per game for the team. Only Crysencio Summerville (2.8) has made more key passes per match within the squad, although the Dutch winger has only created seven ‘big chances’ from that.

Of the current team, no player has completed more dribbles per game than the French ace (2.4) and this highlights his ability to drive past opposition players to open up space and to make things happen.

The statistics that show why Chair could be Rutter 2.0

The Morocco international has not been at his glittering best during the 2023/24 campaign but the versatile forward is playing for a QPR side who have only won two league matches all season.

Chair has one goal and two assists in 15 Championship appearances for the London-based outfit and has produced 1.5 key passes per game for his teammates.

These statistics do not showcase the best of his abilities as the 26-year-old gem has not been able to thrive in a struggling QPR side who are competing at the wrong end of the table.

Whereas, Chair – once described as an “exciting” prospect by ex-Brighton striker Glenn Murray – caught the eye with his creative quality throughout the 2022/23 season and made a consistent impact as a scorer and a creator of goals.

The £6m-rated whiz scored five goals and assisted nine in 38 league starts for his club. He also created 12 ‘big chances’ for his teammates and produced 2.4 key passes per match.

As you can see in the chart above, Chair ranked highly among his positional peers in the Championship last term as a progressive passer and creative talent.

Like Rutter, the QPR star has the ability to be an outstanding performer in the second tier in terms of how often he can create opportunities for others to find the back of the net, whilst also being able to carry a goal threat of his own.

Therefore, Farke could unearth his next sublime creator at Elland Road, as he has with the ex-Hoffenheim man, by swooping to secure a deal for the talented phenom at the start of next year.