Leeds United could now replace Victor Orta with Stuart Webber as the hunt for a new Director of Football continues.
That is according to The Athletic.
The Whites are set to become managerless after Sunday’s season finale with Sam Allardyce unlikely to stay, and Stuart Webber may have a significant say in who arrives at Leeds as the 68-year-old’s replacement.
What’s the story?
Well, Orta was sacked at the start of May following a string of disastrous deals, including the debacle involving Jean-Kevin Augustin and the bizarre club-record signing of Georginio Rutter in January, to name a few.
Now, Webber – currently Director of Football at Norwich – could arrive to replace him.
The Athletic mention that the 39-year-old is a lifelong Leeds fan, which would immediately make him a popular figure amongst supporters at Elland Road.
It is also said that Middlesbrough’s Sporting Director Kieran Scott is another option.
The Athletic mention that Leeds have not taken any concrete steps to hire either Webber or Scott, with the Whites simply exploring potential candidates at this stage.
What Stuart Webber could bring to Leeds
The main question everyone asks when it comes to Director of Football appointments is: who have they signed before?
In regards to Webber, there have been more misses than hits during his six years at Carrow Road.
The Aberystwyth-born Director impressively signed Emiliano Buendia for just £1.5m before selling him to Aston Villa for £33m.
However – as detailed by The Athletic – there have been a series of failed signings.
Webber spent £9.5m on Milot Rashica, who has only scored two goals in 40 appearances for Norwich.
A sum of £9m was also shelled out for Christos Tzolis – a man with just three goals in 30 outings for the Canaries.
Webber also paid £10m to sign Josh Sargent, who netted just twice in 26 Premier League appearances before Norwich were relegated in April 2022.
Of course, Webber may have learned from these deals and could do well for Leeds, but his potential appointment would undoubtedly carry some risk.
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