Victor Orta has told Spanish newspaper Marca that Jack Harrison was his third-choice signing back in the summer of 2018, when he brought the ex-Manchester City man in on loan. Harvey Barnes was his first option.
Harrison, 25, joined Leeds four years ago on loan from Manchester City and spent the next three seasons on loan – only signing permanently last summer for a fee of £15million. He has clocked up a huge 158 appearances.
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The ex-New York man has been a brilliant addition to the Marcelo Bielsa era, and remains important under Jesse Marsch. He has scored 13 goals in 63 Premier League appearances – and laid on nine assists from the left.
Leeds sporting director Orta claims Harrison was his third choice back in 2018. He almost signed Barnes on loan from Leicester, only for Barnes to change his mind at the last minute and join promotion rivals West Brom.
Orta also tried to sign Florian Jozefzoon – but the Dutch speed machine opted to go to Derby County for a fee in the region of £1.5million. Harrison, though, has hardly proved to be a third option during his Leeds spell.
“With Jack Harrison, for example. Luckily it’s gone pretty well. We had Harvey Barnes locked down, he decided to go to West Bromwich on loan at the very last moment,” Orta told Marca.
“We had Jozefzoon, but he took the wrong train and He went to Derby. And Jack was the third option. We believed in the method, in decision-making, it must be admitted, David Villa convinced me.”
Orta on Harrison: Leeds star getting better with every season
Harrison struggled in his first season at Leeds but under the guidance of Bielsa, he has become an established Premier League player with the potential ability to break into the England squad in the coming years.
He scores goals at Premier League level, creates, works harder than most and is proving to be worth every penny of the £15million Leeds paid Manchester City to sign him permanently. Hardly, a third option.
Bielsa once said he is a “big influence” for Leeds, and the Argentine is certainly right.
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