Having raked in cash from the big-money sales of recent years – often to Chelsea – Brighton and Hove Albion are making a statement this summer. The latest moves have seen them capture Brajan Gruda (£5.5m) and Georginio Rutter (£5.5m) from Mainz and Leeds United.
A talented duo, there was already competition for Seagulls starting spots and their depth is about to get even stronger.
So how soon will these signings impact the game time of popular Fantasy Premier League (FPL) enablers Joao Pedro (£5.5m) and Yankuba Minteh (£5.5m)?
We’ll take a look throughout this Scout Report piece, including data and images from our Premium Members Area.
HISTORY
We reported on Rutter’s early days soon after he landed at Leeds in January 2023. The 22-year-old emerged at Rennes, whose academy has churned out the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Eduardo Camavinga and Desire Doue.
Although his departure doesn’t belong with their big money sales, joining Hoffenheim for just £500k midway through the 2020/21 campaign.
Not exactly a goalscorer, Rutter made minimal impact during his previous Premier League half-season. However, he showed enough Championship ability to convince Brighton that he was worthy of becoming their record transfer. The £40m release clause was subsequently met.
GEORGINIO RUTTER’S CAREER LEAGUE RECORD
| SEASON | CLUB | DIVISION | STARTS (SUB) | GOALS | ASSISTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Leeds United | Championship | 47 (1) | 7 | 15 |
| 2022/23 | Leeds United | Premier League | 1 (10) | 0 | 1 |
| 2022/23 | Hoffenheim | Bundesliga | 11 (4) | 2 | 2 |
| 2021/22 | Hoffenheim | Bundesliga | 13 (20) | 8 | 4 |
BRAJAN GRUDA’S CAREER LEAGUE RECORD
| SEASON | CLUB | DIVISION | STARTS (SUB) | GOALS | ASSISTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Mainz | Bundesliga | 19 (9) | 4 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | Mainz | Bundesliga | 0 (2) | 0 | 0 |
Arriving from Germany, new Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler is very familiar with both Rutter and Gruda.
The £25m man is low on competitive first-team appearances. Aged 18, he made his Bundesliga debut in 2023 against Borussia Dortmund. Last season was difficult for Mainz but their 8-1 humbling at Bayern Munich led to an unbeaten final nine matches that pulled the 05ers away from relegation.
Gruda’s game time increased once Bo Henriksen was put in charge. He scored past Darmstadt, Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg in that late run.
Of Albanian descent, he’s played for Germany at all age groups from the age of 15 and has seven under-21 appearances. It surely won’t be long until his first senior cap, considering he was invited to train with them pre-Euros while numerous names were playing in the Champions League and Europa League finals.
PLAYING STYLES
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