Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta has addressed the rumours of a move for Barcelona youngster Ilias Akhomach.
What’s the latest on Leeds and Akhomach?
The Whites appear to have one eye on the summer transfer window despite not knowing whether they will remain a Premier League side next season. Javi Gracia is the man tasked with keeping Leeds in the top flight, whereas Orta has been working on signings over recent years.
One player who has been heavily linked with a move to Elland Road is Akhomach, with the winger out of contract at the end of the season. Reports have suggested that Orta met with the player’s representatives and noises from Spain claimed that Akhomach has even ‘reached an agreement’ to move to England after finalising a transfer with Leeds.
However, nothing has been confirmed by either club, although Barcelona chiefs want Akhomach to receive less game time for their B team over the coming months, amid rumours of a potential exit.
Relevo shared an interview with Orta over the last 48 hours, where they asked the Leeds chief about a move for Akhomach. He labelled the youngster as ‘a player with so much talent’ but said that a transfer will be complicated due to his contract situation.
"He is a footballer whose contract ends, and there are many teams in the race to get his services. It's going to be complicated. A player with so much talent, in such a special contractual situation, is going to be very difficult. We'll see who gets it.
"He is a decisive player, a Spanish talent, trained in Barcelona that puts you in another range. But I do not know. He has earned the ability to choose his next sporting step and the one he chooses will surely be good for him, for his family and for his environment that will surely help him choose well."
Who could stop Leeds from signing Akhomach?
As Orta states, there are a number of clubs interested in the Barcelona winger, so a transfer to Elland Road could prove tricky to complete. Reports have suggested that Premier League rivals and this weekend’s opponents Arsenal are ‘in the bidding’ for Akhomach, with Sevilla, AC Milan and another unnamed club also interested.
The three named sides regularly turn out in European competitions unlike Leeds, so their interest could be an obstacle for the Whites. However, you’d expect that the club will need to remain in the top flight over the coming months to stand any chance of signing Akhomach, so this could be a situation that rumbles on heading into the summer.