Victor Orta reveals where Leeds United should be in two years amid Cody Gakpo transfer sympathy

Leeds’ charismatic director of football Victor Orta believes a top ten finish in the Premier League would represent a considerable achievement for United this season.

The Whites escaped relegation in dramatic fashion last term and despite finishing ninth during the team’s first campaign back in the top flight, Orta asserts that in the long-term, challenging the Premier League’s mid-table hegemony will symbolise the club moving in the right direction.

Leeds have been in a state of flux for much of 2022, with the departure of Marcelo Bielsa, Jesse Marsch’s arrival, squad upheaval during the summer and now an unplanned 29-day break between matches.

Hardly renowned for keeping a level-head, it is Orta who remains firmly grounded about what the team can achieve.

"I think Leeds have to consolidate the project, to be between 14th and 10th, to take steps to reach the top 10 on a regular basis in two years’ time,” he says, speaking to The Telegraph.

“With the current business model in the Premier League, the top six is almost unattainable. Leicester and West Ham have broken through in recent years, but it's not easy. To be in the top 10 would already be a great success,” he added.

Leeds have made progress towards achieving Orta’s goal, replacing two players – Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha – with several new faces for the first-team, building depth where there was little before.

The club were unable to snare sought-after Dutch forward Cody Gakpo on deadline day, though, despite Orta’s trip to Dutch city Eindhoven where he made a ploy to persuade the player to join Leeds.

Admittedly disappointed, the Spaniard says he understands Gakpo and Eredivisie club PSV’s outlook from the other side of the negotiating table, nonetheless.

“We also tried with Cody Gakpo. I respect his decision not to come to Leeds. And I also put myself in the shoes of PSV and I understand they couldn’t find a replacement at the last minute.”

Losing an influential player such as Gakpo so late in the transfer window would have detrimentally impacted PSV’s ability to challenge for the Dutch title – a pre-requisite for any season in the Netherlands.