Victor Orta shouldn’t be allowed to work in football again amid Leeds United drama – chairman
Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has said former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta should “never be allowed to work in football again” for his part in Jack Harrison’s move to Everton.
The Toffees triggered a clause in Harrison’s contract on Monday [14 August] that allowed them to sign the talented attacker on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
MacAnthony is shocked that the relegation clause was written into Harrison’s contract, which was signed during Orta’s time overseeing transfer activity at the West Yorkshire club.
Speaking on his The Hard Truth podcast on Thursday [17 August], the Peterborough chief said: “Whoever put a [bleep] loan clause in for relegation needs to be lined up, shot, and never be allowed to work in football again.
“I don’t know who did those deals – the guy that was there before? I’m sure it’s not the current ownership.
“The idea that…yes, [I understand] a relegation [transfer] clause, you sign a premium young player from Europe, their agent is going to go ‘well Leeds are going to go down, if Leeds go down, £25m’, so [Leeds] get their money back and a profit.
“But to allow a clause that states that said player can go out on loan if his wages are paid for the season, where you get none of your fee back…the player can go on loan, have a [bleep] season wherever they go on loan and then completely lose their value – and worse than that, your team is weakened.”
Shocking decision
As mentioned by MacAnthony, Harrison’s loan move to Everton was a double blow for Leeds as it meant they lost a key player and also missed out on a transfer fee.
The 26-year-old still has five years to run on the deal signed in April this year, but it remains to be seen if his value is ever as high as it would have been this summer.
It may well turn out that Harrison has another productive Premier League campaign, in which case United could still land a big fee in a year’s time, or indeed keep him on their books should they have returned to the top flight by then.
That is a big gamble, though, and it means they are now relying on other factors outside of their control. That would not have been the case had the relegation clause not been inserted.
Harrison himself will just be grateful that he remains a Premier League player, having more than proved he is good enough for that level by scoring and assisting a combined 37 goals across the past three seasons.
As for Leeds, they have a massive gap to be filled and no real funds available to bring in a player of anywhere near the same quality.
MacAnthony’s comments may have been hyperbolic, but there is no doubt it was a shocking decision made by those high up.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites have been tipped to win the race to sign a defender from one of their Championship rivals.