Leeds United did not struggle in the January transfer market, as their speed in decision-making allowed them to capture many of their top targets with minimal fuss.
They were seldom drawn into ongoing sagas, and even when they were heavily linked they refused to be caught up in a bidding war which would put them in financial peril. Therefore, they swiftly added their four new players and moved on.
However, one of the few transfer blunders that Victor Orta did make during the transfer window came in the form of tricky Croatian winger Mislav Orsic, for whom he neglected to bid despite the minuscule fee for which Southampton signed him.
Having originally taken an interest in the now 30-year-old in 2020, Leeds neglected to revive that interest last month amid the Saints stealing in for him. However, later that year, they did sign a little-known speedster named Raphinha for £17m.
The Brazilian went on to quickly become an Elland Road favourite, playing an instrumental role in their narrow escape from the drop last season before leaving for Barcelona in a £55m move.
It therefore makes the Whites’ decision to not secure a replacement in the form of Orsic all the more baffling, especially for just the £8m that the Saints paid for him.
He may only turn out to be a short-term solution at 30, but his guaranteed quality could have been integral in once again ensuring safety through his goalscoring exploits from out wide, much like the Brazilian a year ago.
Raphinha netted 11 times in the Premier League last season, including one in the pivotal final day win at Brentford which ensured top-flight survival, whilst his would-be successor was scoring 20 goals and setting up six in all competitions for Dinamo Zagreb.
He was been a consistently prolific attacker throughout his career and now seems poised to bring that to St Mary’s in Southampton’s bid to also survive the drop – potentially at Leeds’ expense, with only three points separating the teams ahead of today’s action.
During his time at Dinamo Zagreb, Orsic boasts 91 goals and 40 assists in 214 games, and his pedigree is futher boosted by his performances on the biggest stages.
His magnificent strike to secure Croatia a third-place finish at the recent World Cup springs to mind, along with his sensational hat-trick against Tottenham Hotspur to knock them out of the Europa League two years ago.
Even his goal against West Ham United in December 2021, another English opponent that he terrorised, was dubbed a “stunner” by OptaJoe, while his hoodoo over London clubs continued with the winner against Chelsea in the Champions League earlier this season.
Orsic manages to pair that finisher’s instinct with the creativity that Raphinha also boasted. In his final season in England, the Brazilian averaged 1.9 key passes per game, which is not a far cry from the 1.7 that his Croatian counterpart has recorded during the current campaign.
The two forwards boast striking similarities with regard to their goalscoring feats, and it begs the question as to why Leeds did not reignite their interest to secure such a coup to finally replace their former talisman, who could now make them regret that inactivity if the Saints finish above their relegation rivals.
