Former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta was relieved of his duties in May of this year after almost six years in charge of the club’s footballing business.
The Spanish chief endured the highs and the lows at Elland Road as he helped to win promotion back to the Premier League as well as playing his part in their eventual relegation to the Championship at the end of last season.
Orta’s most-expensive Leeds signings | |
|---|---|
Player | Fee (via Transfermarkt and Sky Sports) |
Georginio Rutter | £35.5m |
Brendan Aaronson | £28.4m |
Rodrigo | £25.9m |
Dan James | £25.1 |
Luis Sinisterra | £21.6m |
Orta had a number of successes and failures in the transfer market throughout his time at Elland Road but there may be some players he looks back on with regret at not signing.
Whilst it is easy to look at an arrival and judge how they have performed for the club, it is also worth looking at who could have been brought in instead to bolster the squad.
With this in mind, Orta missed a trick in his failed swoop to sign Noni Madueke from Dutch side PSV, who could have been a better option than Georginio Rutter.
Were Leeds interested in Noni Madueke?
Football Insider reported in the summer of 2021 that the Whites had made contact over a possible deal for the winger and were given ‘encouragement’ that a deal could be done for £20m.
This came after they were put off by the side’s initial £25m valuation of the former Crystal Palace academy prospect, who had emerged as a first-team star for PSV.
The outlet claimed that the club were keen to sign an attacking midfielder who could also play out wide and the left-footed ace emerged as a prime target for them.
However, they did not get a deal over the line for him and it was then reported that they remained interested in the England U21 international the following summer.
It was Chelsea, in the end, who secured his services for a reported fee of £29m in January of this year, and 90min claimed that Tottenham and Leeds were also keen on him at the time
The Blues won the race for his signature as Orta was seemingly unable to convince Madueke that a move to Elland Road was the best next step for his development, or he was unwilling to spend £29m on the then-20-year-old wizard.
Who did Leeds sign instead of Madueke?
Leeds were, however, willing to splash the cash during that transfer window as they spent a club-record £35.5m to sign French whiz Rutter from Hoffenheim to bolster their survival chances.
The Bundesliga gem, who was also 20 at the time of the move, arrived at Elland Road off the back of a disappointing first half of the campaign in Germany.
He produced two goals and two assists in 15 league appearances for his former club, which included 11 starts. The France U21 international missed five ‘big chances’ and produced 0.7 key passes per game in that time, as per Sofascore.
That form came after his return of eight goals and two assists in 33 Bundesliga outings throughout the 2021/22 campaign, in which time Rutter provided 0.5 key passes per match and missed five ‘big chances’.
His debut season in Germany also resulted in one goal and 0.2 key passes per clash across nine matches during the 2020/21 term as he made his first-team breakthrough for the club.
In total, Rutter arrived at Leeds with 11 goals and eight assists to his name in 64 appearances for Hoffenheim in all competitions, which is an average of one goal contribution every 3.37 matches.
How many goals did Madueke score for PSV?
Madueke, on the other hand, produced 20 goals and 14 assists in 80 outings in all competitions for PSV during his time in the Netherlands.
He caught the eye in limited minutes on the pitch during the first half of last season as the talented Englishman contributed with one goal and 2.6 key passes per match across five Eredivisie games.
The England U21 international averaged a goal or an assist every 2.35 clashes throughout his spell at his former club and that convinced Chelsea to spend £29m on him.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described the young ace as “crazy good” but his form and glowing recommendations were seemingly not enough for Orta to go all out to secure his signature in 2023, 2022, or 2021.
How many goals has Madueke scored for Chelsea?
Madueke has scored two goals in eight starts across the Premier League and Carabao Cup for the Blues since his move to Stamford Bridge in January.
The left-footed magician has not been able to break into Mauricio Pochettino’s side on a regular basis. However, he has caught the eye with his exceptional performances for England at U21 level this season.
In three U21 appearances this term, the former Leeds target has scored three goals and provided one assist in matches against Serbia, Ukraine, and Luxembourg.
Statistic | Madueke vs Ukraine (16/10/2023) |
|---|---|
Sofascore rating | 7.7 |
Goals | One |
Chances created | Two |
Dribbles completed | Seven |
Madueke’s most recent England U21 performance (via Sofascore) | |
These statistics suggest that Madueke is far too good to be lingering around the fringes of Chelsea’s squad and a move to Leeds could have provided him with the chance to play week-in-week-out and showcase his ability to score and create goals.
The 21-year-old phenomenon has proven his quality to deliver contributions at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis for PSV and England at U21 level.
How many goals has Rutter scored for Leeds?
Rutter, on the other hand, produced one goal and zero assists in ten Premier League matches for the Whites as they were relegated to the Championship last term.
His form has improved since the drop down to the second tier as the French dynamo has chipped in with two goals and three assists in 11 outings this season.
He has had a strong start to the campaign but Madueke has not had a chance to showcase his talent at that level and their respective statistics in top-flight football suggest that the ex-PSV star would have been a better option for Leeds.
Therefore, Orta missed out on the chance to sign a homegrown star who could have provided more goals and assists in comparison to Rutter for a similar price in January.
