Víctor Orta, sports director of Leeds, assures that from the first moment they knew that an agreement had to be reached, “because Raphinha deserved it that way”
“We had to respect the decision of a player who saved the team even knowing that relegation was for his individual benefit,” says the Spaniard.
The transfer market last summer at Can Barça was a real madness. With Mateu Alemany in command, the Barcelona entity managed to close a market that could hardly be dreamed of, with the arrivals of Lewandowski, Koundé or Raphinha, among many others. He has spoken precisely about the Brazilian Victor Ortathe sports director of Leeds, who has classified Raphinha’s as the toughest negotiation of his life.
The director of the English team assured in an interview with ‘La Media Inglesa’ that the negotiation, despite being very tough, was beneficial for everyone. “It was very positive for Leeds and I think it was also for Barça and especially for the player“. In the explanation of the course of the negotiation, Orta assures that he knew at all times that an agreement was going to be reached, because that’s how the player deserved it.
“In the end, Leeds have to respect the decision of a player who gave everything until the last moment of his career in the team, even knowing that their individual benefit was the relegation of the team“says Orta in reference to the exit clause that the Brazilian had in case the English team lost the category.
Raphinha celebrates a goal with Leeds
| EFE/AFP
Leeds managed to stay in the Premier thanks to the victory against Brentford on the last day, in which Raphinha was decisive with a converted penalty. Given these facts, Orta assures that he had no doubt that “the club had to respect the will of a player who behaved so well with us”.
Special mention for Mateu Alemany
The sports director of Leeds stressed on several occasions that he was convinced at all times that an agreement would be reached with Barça in the long run. “It was a somewhat long and difficult circumstance because I was absolutely convinced that Raphinha only chose Barcelonabut all the circumstances that surrounded the club managed such a long history,” he says.
Among all the details that surrounded the signing of Raphinha, Víctor Orta highlights above all the work of Mateu Alemanyof which he assures “that he puts himself at your feet and that It makes you feel very safe from the other side”. The director of Leeds assures that the figure of Mateu, along with that of Deco, were key to the negotiation reaching the point desired by all.
The signing of the Brazilian was finally closed on July 13 for 58 million fixed euros plus 7 in variables.