Victor Orta could be set to haunt Leeds United with one of his first acts in his new role at Sevilla. Orta was appointed sporting director at Sevilla earlier this week having left Elland Road at the start of May.
The Spaniard spent time working as a technical assistant at the Andalusian club earlier in his career and he has now returned to take on one of the most high profile positions. It’s a step up for Orta, given Sevilla are set to compete in the Champions League once more next season and as he begins to make his mark on his new squad, he could find himself looking to familiar faces.
Rodrigo is one player he knows well, having signed him for Leeds, of course, and it seems the pair could be reunited in southern Spain this summer. Rodrigo’s agent has already publicly admitted that Sevilla would be a move that interests the forward, who was a part of the Spain squad that won the Nations League earlier this month.
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According to Vamos Mi Sevilla, though, a deal may already be in place. Rodrigo won’t be able to complete any move to Spain until after July 1 when the international transfer window opens, but the report claims an agreement has been reached and terms agreed between the player and the club.
The deal would see Rodrigo return to La Liga after three seasons in the Premier League and it is said he would be replacing World Cup winner Papu Gomez, who is reportedly bound for Saudi Arabia. There has been unconfirmed reports this summer that Rodrigo, who has one season left to run on his current Leeds deal, has a €3.5m relegation release clause included in his contract.
Orta will be all too aware of such a cut price fee, which has reportedly attracted the attention of Real Madrid, too, this summer as the Spanish giants look to add depth to their attacking ranks. Rodrigo scored 15 goals in all competitions for the Whites, including 13 in the Premier League, and it’s that form that saw him named Leeds Live’s Player of the Year, as voted for by Whites fans.
