Why Leeds Should Avoid Signing Mario Ortiz Ruiz At All Costs
Turmoil is simply par for the course at Leeds United on and off the pitch. Having lost their manager, a changed ownership, and Ivan Bravo appointed in the board, the fans could be forgiven for hoping for a quiet transfer window.
As well as his new work at Leeds, Bravo is maintaining his role as general director at the Aspire Academy in Qatar. Leeds were clearly hoping that links through Bravo would help them sign better players, and via that link, they are now mulling over a move for midfielder Mario Ortiz.
Aspire are attempting to change the way player’s contracts are ‘owned’, and would only like them to represent one of their own teams. Under this scheme, the 28-year-old Spaniard played last season for Cultural y Deportiva Leonese in Spain’s Segunda league and could sign on for two more years with the Qataris.
With that in mind, his options for next season appear to be limited to Leonese, Eupen of Belgium and of course Leeds United. Bravo has to essentially employ him somewhere and that it is possible that he could be plying his trade with one of England’s biggest and most historic football clubs next season.
Although he started his career with Primera Liga outfit Racing Santander, Ortiz spent the last seven-and-a-half seasons jumping between the Segunda and the Segunda B; both leagues behind the English Championship in terms of quality.
Uninspiring times at Castellon, Conquense, Puertollano, Espanyol II, and Albacete preceded his move to Cultural Leonesa where he played 41 times in Segunda B last season, scoring just 2 goals. Football is certainly not played on paper and we must all be prepared to admit when we are wrong. However, absolutely nothing about Ortiz’s background or profile suggests that he can get Leeds to where they want to be.
Furthermore, with such a rich history in bringing through their own top talent from the academy, we can hardly say that Leeds should be in the market for Spanish 3rd tier players as squad members either. He simply isn’t required.
The most alarming thing about this is the fact that he may be arriving simply because of Bravo. This move is similar to that of Newcastle bringing Nacho Gonzalez on loan at the club as a favour to football agents from South America, which turned out to be a disastrous move. Just say no, Leeds.