Leeds United director of football Victor Orta could be tempted by a move to Chelsea.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to Beren Cross, with the journalist stating his belief in a recent Q&A on Leeds Live that, following reports suggesting that the Spaniard is one of the names on Todd Boehly’s list of sporting director candidates at Stamford Bridge, the 43-year-old would be tempted by a move to west London if the opportunity arose.
In response to a supporter asking for whether Orta would be interested in the Chelsa job, Cross said: “I think he has to be, doesn’t he? We’re talking about a club which won the Champions League in 2021, expects to be competing for trophies every season and would offer him and his family a dynasty-changing salary.
“Orta’s heart and ambition remains at Elland Road and there is no hint of him looking for positions elsewhere, but if they were to put a serious offer forward then he’d have to consider it.”
Bad news for Leeds
Considering the remarkable job Orta has done at Elland Road following his appointment at the club back in 2017, should the Whites indeed go on to lose the services of the Spaniard this season, it would undoubtedly be terrible news for all involved with the club.
Indeed, the director of football played an influential role in the restructuring of the club, both in terms of their recruitment of playing staff and the management team – starting with the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa back in the summer of 2018.
In a recent interview with El Pais, the 43-year-old reflected on his pursuit of the Argentine coach, stating: “In my first year I noticed the historical weight of promotion. The season ended pretty badly.
“When the season ended, I met with the owner, Andrea Radrizzani, and told him: ‘Either we change the club model, or you have to sell, or I have to leave because the historical weight that I notice in every corner is not going to let us work the model you intended.’
“Andrea, who was new to football but brave, told me: ‘And what do we do?’ We could not reduce the distance with other teams simply by buying players, because after 11 years in the second division we did not have the parachute payment, which only lasts four years.
“I told him: ‘We have to look for a coach who can help us with good recruitment criteria for players with immediate performance, take away the historical weight, and we can base the project for promotion to the Premier League.’
“When we signed [Bielsa] I received 50 messages: ‘You’re crazy, you’re crazy, you’re crazy.’ I knew that the club needed a seizure. If you look at the history of Leeds, the coach has been very important here since Don Revie. We needed someone who was above the club to get close to that level.”
And, with Orta’s faith in Bielsa paying off – with the Whites securing promotion to the Premier League in the 67-year-old’s second season at Elland Road – the Spaniard set to work on ensuring that he built a side capable of remaining in the division, luring players such as Raphinha and Illan Meslier to LS11.
However, it has not only been the 43-year-old’s first-team recruitment that has been impressive, as Orta has also played a crucial role in the Whites’ academy achieving Category One status for the first time in their history back in 2020.
Indeed, in the Spaniard’s time at the club, Leeds have welcomed a number of incredibly exciting young talents to Thorp Arch, including the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Darko Gyabi and Sonny Perkins – with these deals helping to future-proof Jesse Marsch’s first team squad.
As such, it is evident that Orta has been one of – if not the – most important factors in Leeds’ return to the top table of English football – making it clear to see that the potential departure of the director of football would be very bad news for Radrizzani and his club.