Chelsea owner Todd Boehly may look to lure Leeds United’s director of football Victor Orta to Stamford Bridge, as he is still “one of the names on their list of targets”.
That is according to journalist Dean Jones, who has informed GIVEMESPORT of his understanding regarding Chelsea’s search for a sporting director.
What’s the word?
Jones believes that there is a possibility that progress could be made in the west London club’s hopes of enticing Orta away from Elland Road. The journalist understands that the Spaniard remains on the list of sporting director candidates at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: “Victor Orta is still somebody that we should be looking out for. There could be some progress on that front as he’s one of the names on their list.”
Boehly means business
As per The Telegraph, Orta’s merits in his role at Leeds have seen the 43-year-old work his way onto Chelsea’s radar, having held his position in Yorkshire since the summer of 2017.
His CV is well-stacked too, having held positions at Middlesbrough, Elche, Zenit St Petersburg, Sevilla and Real Vallodolid before heading to Leeds, where he has firmly established himself as a household name in the recruitment landscape.
With Boehly understood to want the sporting director role filled ahead of the rapidly-approaching World Cup, new Chelsea manager Graham Potter has been involved in the process, working with the club owner to find the right candidate.
Orta was faced with the challenge of rebuilding a Leeds squad who lost key players Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha this summer. He has done incredibly well in that process, signing the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca, who have arrived for just under £100m.
This suggests that he is a sporting director who very much plans for the future, which both Boehly and Potter will surely adore.
One thing is for sure – Boehly means business at Chelsea, and he is not afraid to upset the applecart to get exactly what he wants, as Leeds will surely fight tooth and nail to keep hold of their sporting director given his work at Elland Road.
