Victor Orta details why Leeds United did not sign £70m star eyed by Manchester United and Liverpool for £11.7m
Former Leeds United director Victor Orta has admitted he was unwilling to pay £11.7m to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Coventry City.
Orta served as director of football at Elland Road from 2017 until 2023, overseeing transfer dealings during an eventful chapter in the club’s history.
Leeds were among the many clubs linked with Gyokeres in the summer of 2023 following his stellar season in the Championship with Coventry.
Everton and West Ham United were also credited with interest in the Swedish marksman, who instead sought pastures new in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon.
As reported by Record, Orta has admitted to being unwilling to stump up the fee required to prise the Swedish marksman from the Sky Blues.
He said: “When I was at Leeds United I didn’t want to give €14m [£11.7m] for him. Cases like that of Gyokeres are the good surprises that football gives us, those things that we cannot measure.”
Recent reports have indicated Gyokeres is valued at £70m by Sporting, who are reportedly bracing themselves for transfer offers.
Manchester United and Liverpool are both being heavily linked with swoops, while the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have previously been reported as admirers. He has scored a staggering 66 goals across 68 appearances for Sporting.
Leeds did make a high-profile addition to their forwards department in the summer of 2023, signing Joel Piroe from Swansea City for a fee reported to be over £10m.