Leeds United remain interested in a deal to bring Otavio to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication A Bola (via Sport Witness), who claimed that, despite seeing a bid of €30m (£26m) rejected by FC Porto, Victor Orta is still keen on securing the versatile midfielder’s signature this summer, with the Whites’ sporting director now said to be plotting an improved €40m (£35m) offer for the 27-year-old.
However, the report added that even this amount may be rejected by the Portuguese champions, who are said to have informed Leeds of the player’s €60m (£42m) release clause.
It is also claimed that the player himself may not be in favour of giving up Champions League football with Porto in favour of a move to LS11.
Raphinha 2.0
Considering just how impressive Otavio was for Porto last season, it is not difficult to understand why Orta appears keen to seal a deal for the 27-year-old this summer, especially with Raphinha looking set to depart Elland Road in the coming weeks.
Indeed, over his 32 Liga Portugal appearances in 2021/22, the £27m-rated talent was in remarkable form for Sergio Conceicao’s side. He scored three goals, registered 13 assists and created 17 big chances for his team-mates, along with making 2.3 key passes, taking 1.6 shots and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]
The £32k-per-week playmaker who Alex Goncalves dubbed “phenomenal” also impressed in a defensive capacity, making 3.2 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 0.5 clearances and winning 7.4 duels (at a success rate of 51%) per match.
These returns saw Otavio – who can operate from left, central, right and attacking midfield, and on either the left or right wing – average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.48. That ranked him not only as Porto’s best performer in the league but also as the joint third-best player (alongside Darwin Nunez) in the entire division.
FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As such, with Otavio quite clearly being a player who is extremely creative, exceptionally versatile and incredibly impressive when working back, it is easy to see why Orta views the 27-year-old as a replacement for Leeds’ in-demand Brazilian winger.
That leads us to believe that the Spaniard simply must do everything in his power to get a deal over the line for the former Internacional starlet this summer.
AND in other news: Orta could land the next £76.5m-rated talent as Leeds plot bid for “elite” £26m target