Leeds United may have known that their failure to secure promotion back to the Premier League would leave them at risk of losing some of their best players.
The Whites were beaten 1-0 by Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final in May and are now preparing for a second season in the Championship.
Daniel Farke has already had to watch on as one of his star men completed a move away from Elland Road, with Archie Gray having signed for Tottenham Hotspur in a £40m deal.
Joe Rodon signed on a permanent deal for £10m, after spending last term on loan at the club, but they still lost one of their regular starters at right-back.
Leeds forwards likely to move on
According to Football Insider, three Leeds players could be set to follow Gray out of the door at Elland Road before the summer transfer window slams shut.
The report claims that the Whites are 'expected' to lose three of their stars, with Wilfried Gnonto, Georginio Rutter, and Crysencio Summerville said to be 'likely' to be sold.
It adds that the club could accept 'big offers' for all three of them and that money would be reinvested back into the squad if any of them depart.
This comes after Football Insider recently reported that Brighton & Hove Albion are preparing a second bid for Rutter, after their initial £30m offer was turned down by Leeds.
Losing the French "monster", as he was described by Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie, would be an even bigger blow than the departure of Summerville.
Why losing Georginio Rutter would be a bigger blow
Leeds selling Rutter to Brighton, or any other interested party, would be more harmful to Farke's side than losing the Dutchman would be to how central he is to the way the German wants to set the team up.
The 22-year-old magician is, essentially, the heartbeat of the attack and everything flows through him, due to his fantastic ability to link up play and create chances for his teammates.
Summerville was able to thrive, with 19 goals and nine assists in the league, because of Rutter's ability to consistently feed him the ball in dangerous areas.
Passes into final third
1.78 (bottom 47%)
2.07 (top 11%)
Progressive passes
4.40 (top 27%)
4.46 (top 25%)
Assists
0.23 (top 15%)
0.39 (top 3%)
Successful take-ons
2.52 (top 9%)
3.06 (top 4%)
Progressive passes received
9.44 (top 18%)
6.50 (top 50%)
As you can see in the table above, the former Bundesliga ace provided more than the Dutch sensation in build-up play, with more passes into the final third, more progressive passes, more assists, and more take-ons.
Meanwhile, Summerville received far more progressive passes and this illustrates the point that Rutter was the one progressing play forward to allow the winger, and the other attackers in the side, plenty of chances to showcase their quality.
Therefore, the 22-year-old Dutchman may not be able to influence matches and provide as many goals and assists as he did last term without the help of the 6 foot magician, who orchestrated the attack.
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This is why selling Rutter, who created 22 'big chances' and registered 15 assists in the Championship, would be an even bigger blow than an exit for Summerville, as his departure would have an impact on the rest of the team, rather than one specific position.