Leeds United have less than a month to complete the remainder of their business before the summer transfer window officially closes for business.
One of their biggest tasks will be replacing the Championship Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville, who completed a move to West Ham United on Saturday.
Fabrizio Romano reported that the Hammers have splashed out a fee of more than £25m and add-ons to sign the Dutch winger from Elland Road.
It will be incredibly difficult for Daniel Farke to bring in a player who can replicate the 22-year-old's impact at the top end of the pitch, as Summerville was in phenomenal form throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Starts
41
Goals
19
Conversion rate
15%
Assists
9
Dribbles completed per game
2.3
As you can see in the table above, the former Feyenoord man contributed with a staggering 28 direct goal contributions in 41 starts in the division.
Instead of signing a player to directly replace those goals and assists, Leeds could add a winger with promise and hope that other players step up to make up the difference.
Leeds eyeing winger swoop
The Whites already have their eye on one flanker to come in and bolster the squad. Dutch outlet Voetbal International reports that they are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign NEC Nijmegen forward Sontje Hansen.
VI claims that the West Yorkshire side are eyeing up a swoop for the 22-year-old talent as a potential replacement for Summerville, as Farke looks to bolster his options in the wide areas.
Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James are the club's only senior players in those positions at this moment in time, after Jaidon Anthony returned to Bournemouth and Summerville moved to West Ham.
The report adds that League One side Birmingham City, who have been exploring the Dutch market this summer, are also in the running to land Hansen.
It states, however, that NEC are in a strong position with the forward, who has three years left to run on his contract, and would demand a high transfer fee for his services.
The outlet does not reveal exactly how much the Eredivisie outfit would demand for the impressive attacker, though, or whether or not Leeds are prepared to make an offer for him.
If the Whites can win the race to sign the Dutch talent before the end of the window then he could be an exciting partner for Georginio Rutter at the top end of the pitch.
Georginio Rutter's impressive form last season
The former Hoffenheim prodigy will be looking to follow on from where he left off in the 2023/24 campaign, as the young whiz enjoyed a superb season as a creative force for the club.
Rutter had struggled in the Premier League, with zero goals and one assist in 11 games, and the relegation to the Championship provided him with an opportunity to flourish in the second tier.
Appearances
45
Goals
6
Assists
15
Big chances created
22
Key passes per game
1.9
Pass accuracy
69%
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed magician provided a constant threat at the top end of the pitch by creating high-quality chances for his teammates at an impressive rate.
In fact, he ranked within the top 2% of forwards in the Championship last term for assists (0.39) and Expected Assisted Goals (0.29) per 90 respectively. The talented attacker also ranked within the top 2% of his positional peers for shot-creating actions (4.41) per 90 in the division.
These statistics show that Rutter was one of the best attackers in the second tier at splitting open opposition defences to create opportunities for others, which helped Summerville to plunder 19 goals.
The French ace needs players around him who can make the most of his creativity as his own finishing lets him down, with six goals from a whopping 12.34 xG in the Championship last season.
This means that other players have to step up to provide the goals because Rutter, at this moment in time, is far too wasteful in front of goal to be relied upon consistently.
Why Sontje Hansen and Georginio Rutter would be an exciting pairing
Firstly, it is worth saying that Hansen should not be expected to directly replace Summerville as a player who can fire in 19 goals and provide nine assists straight away in the Championship next term.
The £5.9k-per-week star is a promising talent but has yet to prove that he can deliver those kinds of numbers in the final third from a left wing position.
He was once hailed as "prolific" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, around the time the gem fired in six goals in seven games at the U17 World Cup for the Netherlands, and did show off his finishing ability in the 2023/24 campaign.
Starts
25
xG
3.72
Goals
6
Big chances missed
4
Big chances created
7
Assists
4
As you can see in the table above, Hansen more than made the most of the chances that were created for him as he outperformed his xG by just over two goals.
This suggests that the 22-year-old ace, who only missed four 'big chances', is a lethal finisher who can be incredibly effective in front of goal.
Now, imagine if he had the service that Rutter can provide on a regular basis at the top end of the pitch. The French whiz was one of the best forwards in the league at creating high xG chances for his teammates, which suggests that Hansen could improve his goal tally by playing alongside the gem and using his finishing skills to thrive off that level of chance creation.
Therefore, the NEC star should not be judged on his return of six goals in the Dutch top-flight as he could score more goals by being paired with a creative talent like Rutter who can provide him with plenty of chances to score.
Leeds keen on "remarkable" wizard who could help Farke forget Summerville
The Whites are one of the clubs vying to complete a deal for the impressive winger.
ByDan Emery
This is why the French sensation and Hansen could be an exciting pairing for Leeds in the Championship next season, if Farke can land a deal for the Eredivisie starlet.
