"Working hard": Journalist drops intriguing Leeds transfer claim involving Victor Orta

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa 'would love' to make some signings before today's 11pm deadline, according to transfer insider Pete O'Rourke. 

It's been a quiet January transfer window so far for the west Yorkshire outfit, with no new acquisitions arriving to strengthen Bielsa's threadbare first-team squad. 

The Whites spent over £50 million in the summer turning Jack Harrison's loan from Manchester City into a permanent deal before bringing in Junior Firpo and Daniel James from Barcelona and Manchester United, respectively.

However, a drop-off in form and several injury issues to a handful of key players have seen Leeds struggle to reproduce the sort of form that led them to a ninth-placed finish last term. 

Star midfielder Kalvin Phillips and club captain Liam Cooper are currently sidelined until March with serious hamstring issues, while striker Patrick Bamford has only started five Premier League games this term. 

Leeds' fitness woes saw Bielsa name seven teenagers on his substitutes bench in a recent fixture against West Ham, but reinforcements are yet to arrive. 

The Elland Road side have been linked with loan moves for Chelsea attacker Kenedy and Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino, and O'Rourke believes temporary deals are more likely to occur than permanent ones. 

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He told GiveMeSport: “I think ideally, Marcelo Bielsa would love to make a few new signings just to freshen up the squad right now. I think it's going to be a frustrating one for Leeds. Maybe a Kennedy or Minamino on loan from Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively, would help boost Bielsa’s ranks.

"So, I'm sure Victor Orta and Bielsa are working hard on the transfer