:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57998795/454234202.jpg.0.jpg)
According to reports out of Spain, Leeds United look to help out their partner club in Spain, Cultural Leónesa, by signing free agent striker Alfredo Ortuño and sending him on-loan to the Spanish La Liga 2 side in order to help them avoid relegation.
Looks like Leeds will be helping out our pals at Leonesa again in January to help them fight relegation.
— Daryl (@Dazelar29) December 15, 2017
Looking at potentially signing free agent Alfredo Ortuño and loaning him out for the rest of the season to Cultural. #lufc https://t.co/VYoMHDoEhP
Alfredo Ortuño is a 26 year-old free agent striker who has played for a host of Spanish clubs, including UD Las Palmas, Cádiz CF, RCD Mallorca, Real Zaragoza, Granada, Girona, Albacete, and Levante. Ortuño came up through the ranks at Albacete, but has bounced around the Spanish second division without really establishing himself at any team for any length of time. He does, however, have a decent goal scoring record in La Liga2, scoring 41 goals in 141 appearances and adding 14 assists as well.
He scored 17 goals and had three assists on loan with Cádiz last year in La Liga 2, but was deemed surplus to requirements at Las Palmas this season, and was released last month after failing to make an appearance for the club during the 2017-18 season.
Cultural Leónesa, while starting this season well, have currently slipped to 19th in the table in La Liga 2 and haven’t won a match since a 3-2 victory over Huesca on 17 September and now sit in the relegation places on 19 points. They’ve only won three matches all season in the league, and while the club has only lost five matches, the 10 draws don’t bode well for their ability to survive the drop.
They’ve also scored 40% of their goals in the last 15 minutes of the match, which makes for an exciting end of a match, but doesn’t bode well for their ability to win matches by scoring early and maintaining their lead.
Leeds United, and Cultural’s owners, the Aspire Academy in Qatar, don’t wish to see the club relegated in their first season back in the second division of Spanish football after many years in the lower leagues. Signing a proven La Liga 2 goal scorer like Ortuño will help them out tremendously, and leveraging their relationship with Leeds to help get the job done is just a bonus for Cultural. Leeds don’t want to see their partner club in Spain get relegated, as the level of competition would not be adequate to assist in development of talent.
If this deal goes through, it would be a win-win for both Cultural and Leeds, even if Leeds is literally signing a player for another team.