Leeds United are close to the signing of Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim, but there has been little movement in the last few days - and Beren Cross has claimed that the lack of confirmation could be a worrying sign.

What's the word?

Rutter is expected to complete a deal worth around £35m overall to join Jesse Marsch's side and add some attacking firepower as Leeds aim to combat the threat of relegation.

However, the deal is yet to go through, and despite there being no indication of the deal collapsing, it was not confirmed prior to their clash against Aston Villa on Friday night, with the Whites falling to a 2-1 defeat.

Speaking on the Leeds United Live Facebook page following the final whistle at Villa Park, Cross said the delay to this deal was surprising and that if the deal was not confirmed this weekend, it could be a worrying sign for the fans that something is afoot.

He said: "Georginio Rutter has not been announced yet, but clearly, all the noises had suggested that he will sign; in fact, we've heard nothing to suggest otherwise."

"But it's odd that it's dragging out. I appreciate today [Friday] might have been a day of paperwork and medicals and things and there's no real sense in announcing it when they're playing.

"If we don't hear anything on Rutter tomorrow [Saturday], then I think there will be increasing concern from the fans as to why that's not being announced and what problem there might be with that transfer."

Time to settle

Although deals can drag out for unexpected reasons, an earlier arrival would have been beneficial to the 20-year-old.

Leeds have an FA Cup replay before facing Brentford at home in a crucial match given their position in the table, and ideally, Rutter will be integrated within the squad in time to start the game against the Bees.

If he had been confirmed beforehand, he could have at least linked up with the squad for the game against Villa and gotten some extra training under his belt before slotting into the team.

If there is yet more delay in the deal, then there could be cause for concern that the squad is not being strengthened quickly enough with the club in such dismal form.