“Hello Leeds fans,: Georginio Rutter drops Leeds United future hint as silence broken after Southampton defeat

That total should have been significantly higher, with the youngster struggling to find his flow after undergoing surgery during the March international break – albeit few within Daniel Farke’s time were on form. His finish in the 4-0 play-off semi-final second-leg win over Norwich City was the only direct goal contribution since that break, a level of inconsistency that can still be accepted at such a young age.

That Leeds paid an initial fee of around £29m for Rutter in January 2023 would make a sale less likely, with those in charge wanting to book a decent profit on any summer exits in a bid to remain compliant with profitability and sustainability (P&S) rules. And while the France under-21 international got fans off their seats all season, it is highly unlikely a bid will come in to match the initial price-tag.

In a recent interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe admitted that tough decisions will have to be made this summer as the club look to balance their books ahead of another year outside of the Premier League elite.

“There are certain things that we need to do and we will make sure we are fully compliant with P&S, as we always have been,” Marathe said. “And there are certain trade-offs that we have to make and so we’ll have to get to the drawing board and figure out which moves we have to make sure that we are compliant.

“It’s too early to say [what will happen]. Obviously Archie [Gray] is a tremendous player, as are all of the players who put in so much effort for us, but you know, every season brings change and so I can’t yet comment on it, but we’ll see what happens.”