Striker reveals Victor Orta’s Leeds United presentation which beat Barcelona in transfer battle - YEP 25/9/22

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Leeds United signed teenage forward Mateo Joseph in the January transfer window from Catalan club Espanyol

By Joe Donnohue

Leeds’ acquisition of 18-year-old Mateo Joseph shortly after New Year turned out to be the club’s solitary addition at the beginning of 2022.

While supporters were left disappointed as the club struggled to add first-team players, Joseph arrived with a reputation as a promising young striker from Spain.

The former RCD Espanyol youth team attacker had been prolific in his last full season in Catalonia, leading top-scorer standings before fielding several offers from prestigious clubs.

Barcelona were reportedly among them, offering a full ride in the club’s academy setup with a view to progressing into the B team and eventually the first-team at Camp Nou, however they were unable to come to an agreement.

Espanyol and Barcelona are local rivals, therefore Joseph would not have been forced to relocate if he had moved across the city.

Instead, though, the teenage forward opted for a switch to Leeds, owing to a presentation given by director of football Victor Orta and his dedicated team of analysts.

To have chosen United over a club such as Barcelona suggests Leeds’ argument was especially persuasive in convincing the youngster that Elland Road should be his next destination.

Speaking in the new Amazon Prime Video documentary series ‘Academy Dreams: Leeds United’, Joseph reveals details of the signing process at Leeds which led to his January arrival in West Yorkshire.

“The last year [2020/21] I think was the best year for me,” Joseph says. “It was the most difficult league in Spain for youth and I [was] the top goal scorer. So, a lot of teams came.”

“They knew me better than even my family. [The] PowerPoint about me about everything I did on the pitch and off, I think that interest, that make my family and I make this choice.”

This season, Joseph has already netted five goals, including four in the young Whites’ season opener at Derby County.

Still regarded as an Under-21s player, Joseph has been progressing well since the summer and is head coach Michael Skubala’s first-choice centre-forward for the Under-21 side.

The Under-21s’ next fixture takes place on Friday, September 30 at home to Stoke City when the young Spaniard is expected to feature once more.

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