What Victor Orta has said about Leeds United's January transfer window

Leeds United have made a whirlwind start to their first Premier League campaign in 16 years.

The Whites sit 12th in the top flight having acquired 23 points from their opening 17 games of the season.

As the Elland Road club enter the new year, January presents a second opportunity to add to Marcelo Bielsa's first team ranks in LS11.

Sporting director Victor Orta oversaw a record-breaking summer of transfer spending as the club splashed out a little under £100m amidst the smashing of their long-standing transfer record to land Spain international Rodrigo.

But what has Orta said about the winter window? The Yorkshire Evening Post asked his thoughts a little over a month ago...

On the January transfer window...

“For me firstly, it’s [about] availability,” Orta told The Yorkshire Evening Post in late November.

“You go to a player who is playing in a lower division, or you go for a player who is not playing in your division or at another level, it is a risk.

“The availability of the players is limited by that. Obviously, the way to choose is limited, so you [can’t always] make a proper choice [in January].

“The situation with economics is strange. I think people want to sell - but don’t sell because they need to buy. They don’t want to spend. It makes it a strange market again.

“I am not a proper fan of the January market, I [have] always said that. The stats say the same about our business in the winter market [recently].”

On whether Leeds might make a move...

“We need to be really clever,” Orta said.

“If one option appears, who we think clearly improves the squad, obviously [we need to] be ready to make [an offer].

“Now, I trust a lot the squad we have, I trust a lot the ways of our staff in living for Marcelo. [The] winter market is a circumstance and one we need to evaluate carefully.”