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Oliver Jones & James Quinlan

Jermaine Beckford hails Georginio Rutter transfer for adding vital Leeds United competition

Former Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford has hailed his former club for going after highly-touted Hoffenheim striker Georginio Rutter, claiming it'll create more 'competition' within the squad.

The 20-year-old completed his move to the Whites for a fee of up to £35m (including potential add-ons) on Saturday evening in what was a club record fee for a player.

Leeds' other attacking options this season haven't disappointed in terms of goals but with little squad depth if top goalscorer Rodrigo Moreno was to go down injured, bringing Rutter in has been something of a priority in recent weeks.

READ MORE: Patrick Bamford says recent surgery has ended Leeds United injury problems

After Patrick Bamford's injury woes and manager Jesse Marsch's reliance on young wingers to provide creativity going forward for most of the season, Rutter could be a breath of fresh air for fans.

Beckford himself played over 150 times for Leeds in Rutter's position, and believes that he could bring a lot to Marsch's squad that has struggled in the Premier League this season.

Speaking ahead of Friday night's clash against Aston Villa, he highlighted that the Whites have done good business in the January transfer window so far and if they do land Rutter, it'll be a big boost for the inter-squad dynamic as well as the on-pitch performances.

"The more players you’ve got - the more quality players you’ve got in each position - creates competition for everybody else and your levels go up from an eight to a nine.

"It’s always going to be a good thing to have players around you."

With Leeds having already secured Max Wober from Red Bull Salzburg for just under £18m this January, it seems clear that Marsch is willing to spend big to bring in much-needed improvements - something that former players like Beckford clearly agree with.

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