Leeds United have been handed an opportunity to sign Brighton goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, with agents actively offering the 25-year-old to clubs this summer.
TEAMtalk journalist Graeme Bailey reports that intermediaries have offered Rushworth to both Leeds and Newcastle as Brighton prepare to move him on.
Rushworth has spent the last five years accumulating experience across the EFL, building a reputation as one of the most reliable goalkeepers outside the Premier League.
His journey began in non-league football at Worthing before loan spells at Walsall, Lincoln City, Swansea City, Hull City and Coventry City followed in succession.
That remarkable path has given him well over 200 senior appearances before most goalkeepers even approach their peak years.
His consistency across two full Championship seasons is particularly striking, having played all 46 league matches for Swansea in 2023/24 and all 46 league matches for Coventry last season.
Those campaigns earned him a place in the Championship Team of the Season after helping Coventry win the title, underlining his standing among the division’s best performers.
Rushworth was also part of England’s Under-21 European Championship-winning squad in 2023, a further marker of the esteem in which he is held among coaches at the highest level.
Frank Lampard has described him as a “top” shot stopper, a label that aligns with what Rushworth has demonstrated throughout a demanding and lengthy loan career.
Leeds are looking to replace Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow, making the search for a dependable goalkeeper one of Daniel Farke’s most pressing priorities heading into the new season.
Brighton’s position is weakened by the fact that Rushworth’s contract expires in 2027, meaning clubs could secure him at a reduced fee rather than full market value.
The Seagulls have a well-established record of developing players through their academy and selling for profit, and Rushworth would represent pure profit given his homegrown status.
His age, availability record and vast Championship experience should still command a healthy fee, even if Brighton lack the leverage a longer contract would provide.
Newcastle are also in contention, though Graeme Bailey has noted that any move for Rushworth there could depend on how the club shapes its squad, with James Trafford also linked with competing for the number one shirt.
For Leeds, the logic behind pursuing Rushworth is straightforward given the goalkeeping vacancies at Elland Road and his proven ability to handle the demands of a promotion-chasing campaign.
Rushworth has already demonstrated he can perform across a gruelling Championship season on two separate occasions, and his best years are arguably still ahead of him.
Whether Leeds move quickly enough to secure his signature before the window closes remains the key question in this developing transfer story.