Chelsea have interviewed Victor Orta – Director of Football at Leeds – as Todd Boehly attempts to create a transfer think tank at Stamford Bridge.
It was 90min who revealed that the Spaniard had spoken to the Blues, with Leeds in danger of having their chief negotiator lured away from Elland Road.
Now, the announcement involving Jean-Kevin Augustin could give Orta a nudge in leaving Yorkshire for London.
Leeds could lose Victor Orta to Chelsea
Well, you may have heard that Leeds have been ordered to pay RB Leipzig €21m (£18.4m) for the transfer of Augustin, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed their appeal over FIFA’s ruling.
Leeds signed the Frenchman on loan from the German outfit back in 2020, agreeing to a €21m (£18.4m) obligation to buy the striker if they secured promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season.
Leeds did in fact win promotion, but the campaign was prolonged due to COVID-19, and the Whites technically ended up securing promotion after the date the season was said to end in the original contract.
To make matters worse, Augustin only played 48 minutes of football, playing a hugely insignificant role in securing promotion.
According to the BBC, Leeds will appeal again, but we cannot see the CAS changing their mind after already ignoring one appeal.
So, with £18.4m now set to come out of the account at Elland Road, that gives Orta less financial freedom to improve Leeds with new signings in 2023, which are desperately needed.
It goes without saying that the CAS and FIFA’s verdict will make Orta’s job much harder, and with Chelsea sniffing around – a wealthy side capable of giving him significant funds – he may be tempted to leave.
Furthermore, Leeds will also have to pay millions to sack Jesse Marsch if the club’s poor form continues, which could leave Orta with barely anything to work with in January.
Leeds man could become part of a unit at Chelsea
You may argue that Chelsea no longer need Orta, as Boehly has already hired Recruitment Analyst Kyle Macaulay from Brighton and Director of Recruitment Joe Shields from Southampton.
The Evening Standard believe Brighton’s Head of Recruitment Paul Winstanley and Monaco’s Technical Director Laurence Stewart are also set to join.
However, that same article states that Boehly is keen to create a think tank at Stamford Bridge, in which the brightest recruiters in football come together to make Chelsea an unstoppable force.
Therefore, Orta could still join the Blues, despite the arrivals of Macaulay and Shields.
Keep an eye on this situation, as the Augustin verdict could have major repercussions for Leeds.
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