Victor Orta’s Sinisterra inspiration can deliver Leeds United transfer success after Gakpo claim

Leeds United are expected to miss out on the signature of Cody Gakpo once and for all next month following the PSV Eindhoven and Dutch international attacker’s displays at the FIFA World Cup
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Netherlands were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by eventual winners Argentina, but Gakpo’s form in front of goal during the group stage has led Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch to predict that the 23-year-old is now out of the club’s price range.

United came close to securing Gakpo this summer, as director of football Victor Orta flew to the Netherlands in the hope of returning with the talented wide forward, but a deadline day snub meant Leeds were left without their primary attacking target. Since the beginning of the season, Gakpo has recorded 18 assists and scored 18 goals for club and country, across all competitions, form which has alerted Europe’s elite.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It now appears exceedingly unlikely that Leeds will be able to tempt the attacker to Elland Road, but the likelihood of a January move elsewhere seems all the more probable after his three goals in five matches during the Netherlands’ stay in Qatar.

DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 03: Cody Gakpo of Netherlands in action during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Netherlands and USA at Khalifa International Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 03: Cody Gakpo of Netherlands in action during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Netherlands and USA at Khalifa International Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 03: Cody Gakpo of Netherlands in action during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Netherlands and USA at Khalifa International Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

While Leeds may be disappointed they were unable to snare their man, there is reason for encouragement owing to Victor Orta’s record in the transfer market, particularly in the pursuit of young players. Orta’s confidante and close associate Gaby Ruiz initially identified current Leeds winger Luis Sinisterra at the lesser-reported Under-20 World Cup in Poland three years ago, prior to his emergence as a key player for Feyenoord last season. Additionally, Leeds’ acquisition of Raphinha in October 2020 was relatively uncontested, but it was the Whites who identified and duly benefited from, his top-level potential.

Unbeknownst to the wider public, Orta’s scouting network will have eyes on several players, not exclusively those who have shone at the World Cup such as Gakpo. Prices are often inflated on the back of promising or breakout tournament displays and while the market swells to lure those who the hype surrounds, there are often alternatives which fly under the radar.

The hope for Leeds is that Orta’s network can deliver another Sinisterra or Raphinha for a more palatable sum than the £50 million that PSV are likely to command for Gakpo’s services next month. Despite blistering form, there is an argument that figure may no longer represent value for money.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Case in point, Angers and Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi is thought to have been attainable for around 15 million Euros prior to the World Cup, where he helped the Atlas Lions become the first African nation ever to reach the Last Four. Now, the 22-year-old is being touted for three times that figure, on the back of six appearances.

In a recent interview with Spanish station Radio Marca, Orta revealed he would not be taken in by Ounahi’s World Cup performances having observed him 20 times for his club side, nor would he sign a player solely based on observations at a major international tournament.

If Leeds are active in the January market, they are unlikely to sign a player with the allure of Gakpo, such is the interest and intrigue surrounding the Dutchman. But, any player they do move for will have been scouted diligently, over an extended period of time and theoretically those are the signings which tend to prove more fruitful as opposed to knee-jerk acquisitions.

Related topics: