Leeds United are closing in on their second signing of the January transfer window...

What's the word?

According to The Athletic's Phil Hay, a deal for Hoffenheim striker Georginio Rutter was on course for completion that would break the Whites' current club record of £27m, which they spent on Rodrigo back in 2020.

The Daily Mail believe this fee to be around £35m plus add-ons and also claim that a medical is scheduled for this week.

Rutter has been excused from the Bundesliga outfit's recent friendlies ahead of the league's return in just over a week's time, meaning the door has opened for Leeds to make their move.

Rutter can take Leeds to new heights

The young forward could be the answer to Jesse Marsch's woes and one that may well benefit the club for years to come, given he's just 20.

A pure no.9 to fill Patrick Bamford's shoes is arguably the no.1 priority right now and will be for the next few seasons should they fail to resolve it. And Rutter is just that, a complete and all-round talisman capable of performing through the middle.

Past targets such as Cody Gakpo and Charles De Ketelaere were never out-and-out strikers but more versatile options that could feature anywhere along the frontline - a bit like summer signing Wilfried Gnonto.

Whilst 10 goals and four assists in 57 league appearances aren't the eye-catching statistics that Leeds fans will be hoping for in their new forward, it is surely hoped that he can blossom into a well-oiled attacking machine under the stewardship of Marsch, the man who took Erling Haaland to a new dimension early in his career at RB Salzburg.

Rutter, who has been dubbed a "huge talent" by journalist Ronan Murphy, appears to be a surefire fit for the American's pressing system too, with Hay also highlighting that the Frenchman's "running on the ball, dribbling and take-ons, is very good."

As further described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old is also a "complete" and "clinical finisher" with "blistering pace" and these are all attributes that should serve him well in the Premier League, particularly as a natural successor to Bamford, who proved in 2020/21 that when fully fit he's a talismanic centre-forward with 17 goals and seven assists.

Also dubbed "physical" by journalist Joe Donnohue, it's more clear as to why Leeds chief Victor Orta is prepared to pay a club-record fee for a relatively inexperienced player with a lack of figures to back it up.

As such, Rutter could genuinely be a big missing piece in the Whites' puzzle and one that should still serve them well for many seasons from now.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops Illan Meslier injury update...