Middlesbrough could be ready to make a move for a big name Spanish striker this summer with Middlesbrough’s scout Victor Orta eyeing Sevilla’s Fernando Llorente as a possible marquee signing for Middlesbrough.
Orta-a scout who was brought in to the club last year-has a very good relationship with Sevilla having played a vital role in their ascent in recent years, working as a technical director there and helping bring in player like Bryan Rabello, Didier Zokora and Sebastien Squillachi amongst others to the Spanish club. According to Spanish newspaper AS, Orta is leading the interest in the available Llorente.
Victor Orta was seen as a very significant signing by the club last season certainly by Karanka who was certain he would be employed by one of the clubs in the champions league, but instead Middlesbrough managed to secure his services and the technical professional has wasted no time since Boro have been promoted, bringing in highly rated Danish youngster Viktor Fischer which raised a few eyebrows among the football world.
He has also been linked with other big talents such as Clement Grenier and whilst the trend up until now has been to look for players who are on an upward trajectory and hungry to prove themselves, or players who have a short time on their contract, this could be a move where Orta uses his extensive contacts to bring in a big European name with a good calibre.
Llorente has fallen out of favour at Sevilla and has only managed four goals in 22 appearances but the 31 year old has undoubted experience at top level football clubs having played for Atletic Bilbao and Juventus before Sevilla and would give Boro a much needed focal point up front with Rhodes and Nugent currently the only other options. At 6ft 5″ he would win his share of aerial battles and could be a perfect foil for his other partners up front.
If Orta can pull this one out of the bag and Fischer fulfils the potential he clearly has, then it would be seen as a really good piece of business over the summer, no doubt there will be more players linked over the course of the summer with Orta having worked with the likes of Brazilian striker Hulk during his Zenit st Petersburg days.
Boro fans will be watching carefully for the next instalment of potential new players.
