Kiko Casilla is reportedly heading to Championship table-toppers Leeds United from La Liga giants Real Madrid.
Victor Orta is slowly but surely becoming a bit of a cult hero among some Leeds United fans.
The previously much-maligned director of football was once renowned for a series of disastrous signings from Jay-Roy Grot to Felix Wiedwald, Pawel Cibicki to Caleb Ekuba. But he has certainly enhanced his reputation in recent months.
After all, it was he who played a major role in the deal that brought Marcelo Bielsa to Elland Road in the summer. And, with Leeds currently top of the Championship and on track to end their 15-year Premier League exile, it is fair to say the decision to bring Bielsa to West Yorkshire looks an inspired one.
And it seems that Orta is now at the centre of one of Leeds’ most impressive transfer coups in living memory.
Real Madrid’s Spanish international goalkeeper Kiko Casilla is expected to arrive in the near future for a medical with the second-tier side.
And, in an article written by Guillem Balague for AS, the La Liga expert has highlighted the role Orta has played in negotiations.
It is understood that the former Middlesbrough director has convinced Real to let Casilla leave on a free transfer, despite the fact that the former Espanyol glovesman still has 18 months remaining on his contract at the Bernabau.
With all due respect to Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Casilla looks like a major upgrade on paper and Orta deserves plenty of credit.
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