Genk insist that the ‘exceptional’ Dimitri de Conde will not be replacing Victor Orta at Leeds United with Tottenham and Southampton also keen on the highly-rated technical director.
With Victor Orta gone – and the future of chairman Andrea Radrizzani also uncertain – Leeds United find themselves locked in limbo at a time in which a new manager, alongside a host of new signings to ease their transition back into the Championship, is needed.
Just who is calling the shots at Elland Road these days? Who is leading recruitment? Who has the responsibility for choosing Sam Allardyce’s successor? The fact that we cannot answer such questions with any real clarity is telling; Leeds a club in dire need of direction and leadership.
Dimitri de Conde would, at least, provide exactly that.
Leeds United and Tottenham need a new sporting director
The 48-year-old has been working behind the scenes at KRC Genk since 2015, helping the Jupiler League giants win only their second Jupiler League title in the last two decades.
De Conde is also credited with a number of inspired deals in the transfer market; Paul Onuachu, Leandro Trossard, Sander Berge, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Leon Bailey, Joakim Maehle, Wifried Ndidi, Timothy Castagne and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic earning Genk over £160 million.
“Interest in De Conde? The opposite would surprise me!,” chairman Peter Croonen tells TVL when asked about the future of his long-serving director.
“Dimitri is an exceptional talent in many respects. But, fortunately, he is also a real Genkie.
“He is very grateful to the club for the opportunities he has been given, but above all he has lived up to them handsomely and strongly. He is someone who will always arouse interest.
“Has has expressed his long-term commitment (to us)? Yes, he has. He is someone who would like to stay with us, but also someone whose position we must continue to monitor.”
According to Het Nieuwsblad, De Conde is also admired by Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.
Spurs, like Leeds, recently parted with their own director of football; Fabio Paratici leaving under a cloud after losing his appeal against a 30-month ban due to alleged ‘false accounting’ during his time at Juventus (The Guardian).
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