Bid incoming: Orta can unearth Raphinha 2.0 as Leeds now eye "phenomenal" £35m target - opinion

Leeds United remain interested in a deal to bring Otavio to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

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.

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.

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