Victor Orta’s name brings mixed reactions from Leeds United fans. Some remember him fondly for bringing on board some quality signings when he was in charge, and others remember him for the poor signings.
Ultimately, his time at the club was memorable as he was a huge part of Leeds brining Marcelo Bielsa on board. The Argentine lead the club back to the English top flight after a long absence and kept them there for one season before he was sacked. Under Victor Orta, the club had some magnificent signings like Raphinha, Rodrigo and Mateusz Klich.
But the list of flops is quite alarming – Orta made around 68 total signings on permanent deals and loan deals during his time in charge. One name that gives fans bad memories is Jean-Kevin Augustin; he played just 49 minutes but cost Leeds a fortune.
QUIZ: Can you name the team Leeds United signed these players from in the 2000s?
Victor Orta defends transfer record
Raphinha Credit: Imago
After working at Leeds, the Spaniard went on to work for Sevilla for close to two years. He was also instrumental in some key signings for the La Liga side; but his exit was not the best. Fans and media around Spain criticized some of the bad signings he made while in charge. This year, Orta joined La Liga 2 side Real Valladolid as their Sporting director.
Speaking on the El Larguero podcast, the 46-year old defended his time in Seville, saying that there were financial troubles at the club that did not help his job. He also made an outrageous claim using Arsenal’s £54.8million striker Viktor Gyokeres as an example of how hard it is to make quality signings:
“The decision wasn’t my own. I was unlucky, and I didn’t have a good time financially at Sevilla. But it’s very difficult to sign players with money, too.
“For example, Gyokeres is under scrutiny at Arsenal and Wirtz at Liverpool, and both have cost more than 100 million euros.
“Gyokeres scored goals everywhere in Portugal. Wirtz looked like a magician in Germany, and now at Liverpool, they’re already giving him a terrible beating.”
Orta’s best signings at Leeds United
There will be a debate about the best player signed under Orta, but the consensus would be Raphinha. No Leeds fan would have thought the Whites had a player who was in Ballon D’Or conversations just this year. The Brazilian finished in the top 10 eventually. Outside him, fan favourites like Mateusz Klich, Pascal Struijk and Patrick Bamford are solid shouts.
