Aston Villa and Brighton boost amid £80m Leeds United 'expectation'

Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion have received boosts in their respective pursuits of Leeds United stars Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.

Villa have been heavily linked with a move for Dutch winger Summerville alongside a host of Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United. The Seagulls, meanwhile, are hopeful of signing both.

Daniel Farke is eager to keep his best players at Elland Road but Leeds’ failure to be promoted to the Premier League hasn’t helped matters. Archie Gray has already left for Tottenham Hotspur in a £40 million deal and further sales are likely to follow.

Football Insider reports Leeds are expected to lose three more star players before the end of the transfer window, including Summerville and Rutter. The pair are ambitious and want to play in the English top tier as soon as possible, rather than wait for a possible promotion.

Fabian Hürzeler’s side have already seen a £30 million bid rejected for French forward Rutter could return with an improved proposal. Talks have been held for Summerville, too, though no offer has been tabled. If the report from Football Insider is to be believed, around £40 million will be demanded for each player.

Summerville, 22, contributed an impressive 19 goals and six assists in 43 Championship appearances last term. Rutter, also 22, performed more of a playmaker role as he notched six goals and 15 assists in 45 league matches.