Outgoing Middlesbrough man Victor Orta has been linked with Leeds United.
General view inside Elland Road
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United are considering a move to make Victor Orta their new technical director this summer.
The Whites have seen Andrea Radrizzani take full control of the club this week, and the Italian – who has bought the club from compatriot Massimo Cellino – looks set to pursue a technical director.
More and more English clubs are heading down the ‘continental’ route of having a director working above the manager, primarily overseeing transfers.
It’s now claimed that Leeds want Spaniard Orta for the job, and he is free to join the Whites having been relieved of his duties as Middlesbrough’s Head of Recruitment earlier today.
Middlesbrough’s Victor Valdes
A former ally of ex-Boro boss Aitor Karanka, Orta has a hit and miss transfer record at the Riverside Stadium, and Leeds fans should be interested to know who he signed during his time on Teesside.
After taking the job in December 2015, Orta brought in Ritchie De Laet on loan from Leicester City, Julian de Sart from Standard Liege, Kike Sola from Osasuna and Jordan Rhodes from Blackburn; none of those four remain with Boro right now.
Gaston Ramirez can be marked down as a success following his loan-move-turned-permanent from Southampton, with his January 2016 record far from impressive with the benefit of hindsight.
Moving on to last summer, defenders Antonio Barragan, Bernardo Espinoza and Fabio Da Silva have all featured in the Premier League with decent results, though Barragan struggled in the second half of the season, whilst Calum Chambers impressed on loan from Arsenal.
Middlesbrough’s Antonio Barragan and Middlesbrough’s Marten de Roon
Midfielder Marten de Roon showed flashes of his quality in the Boro midfield following a big-money move from Atalanta and could move back to the Premier League this summer, whilst Brad Guzan was merely solid cover in goal.
Victor Valdes emerged as a top goalkeeper for Boro, but wingers Viktor Fischer and Adama Traore failed to live up to expectations, and top goalscorer Alvaro Negredo seemed almost wasted in such a negative side.
January additions Adlene Guedioura, Patrick Bamford and Rudy Gestede offered little in Boro’s bid for the Premier League survival, and Orta has now paid the price with his job.
Alvaro Negredo of Middlesbrough
So, from 18 signings during his time with Boro, only Valdes, Fabio, Chambers, De Roon, Ramirez and Negredo can really be considered as successes, with the likes of Sola, Rhodes, De Sart and Guedioura complete flops.
That’s just a third of his signings impressing, and Leeds fans will be desperate to see a better success rate should the Spaniard arrive in such a vital position at Elland Road this summer, with the Whites needing a boost in the transfer market after a disappointing January window.
Do you think Orta would be a good appointment for Leeds?
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