Leeds United fans will always cherish the beginning of the new decade in 2020 as the year saw the club end a 16-year absence from the English top-flight and return to the Premier League during the 2020/21 season. Under then-coach Marcelo Bielsa, the squad made a stunning return to the league as they played out an entertaining 4-3 loss to defending champion Liverpool in their debut game back.
While Bielsa would be remembered by fans for achieving the promotion to PL, Leeds’ current Director of Football, Victor Orta too deserved the plaudits for the feat. The Spaniard has been at the club since May 2017 and has played a pivotal role in shaping the talented squad that achieved promotion. Orta has been much applauded for curating the club’s transfer strategy that he has termed as “build careers” rather than “buy careers” in various interviews. His reign oversaw the arrivals of important members of the current first team such as Mateusz Klich, Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison.
As Marcelo Bielsa was sacked by the club earlier this season, Orta has stuck on and looks to plot on improving the team in the future alongside current manager Jesse Marsch. The American coach who has experience working with three teams owned by the Red Bull Group in New York Red Bulls (2015–2018), RB Salzburg (2019–2021) and RB Leipzig (2021), appears to be relying on his knowledge of the American football circuit while working with Orta for transfer targets.
According to latest reports, Marsch and Orta have RB Leipzig and USMNT youngster Brenden Aaronson in their sights as a potential transfer target. Having secured his move to the Austrian side last season, the 21-year-old midfielder made his debut in the UCL this season and has notched 2 assists for Salzburg in 8 appearances in the competition.
Since the youngster fits the mould of Orta’s transfer strategy of building careers, it is no surprise that the Spaniard is in favour of bringing the American to England. Orta gave Leeds fans a public affirmation of the same on Saturday after footage emerged of him walking to Elland Road with Leeds supporters while singing a Brenden Aaronson chant.
With Orta, Marsch and even the Leeds support in favour of the youngster’s switch to England, Aaronson could be the latest addition to Orta’s successful transfer ideology at Leeds. With the summer window approaching soon, perhaps it won’t be long before the Salzburg man will be spotted donning the white of the Leeds and making his debut before the Elland Road faithful.
