Leeds United could now add to Victor Orta’s misery by signing Sevilla’s prized asset

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Leeds United have celebrated promotion to the Premier League from the Championship in recent weeks in style, but planning ahead is now the club’s main goal.

However, this current iteration of Leeds United will be desperate to retain their top flight status at the first attempt. The 49ers have the resources and infrastructure to do so, having seen previous regimes fail to maintain Premier League football at Elland Road before.

Leeds need to emulate teams like Fulham, but also others who have made the step up stick in recent years. There is a trend which many sides have chosen to follow which appears to be having success.

There has been an emerging blueprint becoming increasingly more prominent in the Premier League. Players who are tall and physical and/or athletic and speedy tend to be big differentials for Daniel Farke and co.

• READ MORE: ‘Come on’… Daniel Farke told he never should have played £4m Leeds midfielder at times this season

Leeds should sign Dodi Lukebakio from Sevilla and Victor Orta

There will be challenges to overcome this summer and major decisions with the Leeds squad need to be undertaken. That’s partly due to questions regarding Leeds’ PSR situation and how much cash Leeds can spend this summer remaining up for debate.

With the transfer window opening soon, Leeds must make a better fist of things this time around. The Whites got things wrong off the pitch in the latter seasons of their last three-year Premier League stint. Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta were two of the primary influences behind that.

They have since moved on, with Orta going back to Sevilla to become Sporting Director. Despite some promising signings, things have not gone well on the whole from his return to Spain.

He returned in July 2023 after departing Leeds. One month later, towards the back end of the transfer window, he signed Dodi Lukebakio. The Belgian winger has gone on to become one of the La Liga outfit’s best players.

Not only does he have reliable output, but Lukebakio has the height, size, and athleticism to be a fantastic outlet for any team who need to relieve pressure in a relegation scrap. The 27-year-old is in his prime years and would be an excellent addition out wide.

That is due to the fact none of Leeds’ other wide profiles can retain the ball with his back to goal simply by being tall and powerful. It’s important to have a balance of profiles in a squad and Lukebakio would bring something new to the side.

Crucially, that is while also being of the required quality to make an impact via goals and assists as well. He is arguably Sevilla’s prized asset currently and Orta is under increasing pressure at the club with the patience of the fanbase growing increasingly thinner.

That is why it would really rub it into the face of Orta in the process, with things becoming increasingly more sour for him back in Seville. We also named Lukebakio in our dream Leeds XI by the end of the summer.

Orta has endured angry fan protests following poor recruitment, unsuccessful signings, and controversial managerial decisions. They may need to sell this summer, and Leeds can take advantage of that with the Belgian wide man.

• READ MORE: Luke Ayling says what he hopes to see from Leeds United after promotion to the Premier League

Dodi Lukebakio’s goal and assist record

A number of players have been linked to Leeds already, but not enough can help Leeds get up the pitch and out of trouble as attacking outlets.

Lukebakio could be an outlet to get them out of dangerous moments and up the other end quickly to try and sustain attacks. Sevilla’s star winger would be expensive but he has the quality and physicality required.

At least two of their forwards should help to get Leeds out of trouble in transition or to relieve pressure by holding the ball up against smaller or less dominant full-backs.

His goal return is also impressive since entering his peak years, illustrating that Leeds would be getting a multi-purpose forward and one who ticks a number of the right boxes.