Leeds United director of football Victor Orta has likely been working on transfer deals since January, says former striker Brian Deane.

Speaking recently on The Phil Hay Show (via TEAMtalk), Orta discussed Leeds' transfer plans and revealed that he wanted to have all of the club's transfer business wrapped up by the end of June in time for pre-season.

The Yorkshire outfit have been linked with a host of players, including Hertha Berlin's Matheus Cunha, and Deane thinks the Spaniard has probably been working on targets for some time now.

Reacting to Orta's comments, the ex-Leeds forward told FFC in an exclusive interview:

"I think it's important. The problem is that when it drags on, it creates uncertainty going into the season, so I think it's very important for anybody to try and get their business done as quickly as possible.

"What he's probably saying is that he's been working on the targets probably since January, which I think is the right way to work anyway. You can't just decide, 'Right, the season's over, let's see what's available.'

"He must be quite confident that he has identified who they want and, you know, talks are probably underway already."

Last summer, Leeds brought in the likes of Raphinha and Diego Llorente, with the former finishing the season with nine assists - the most in Marcelo Bielsa's squad.

If Orta can find more gems like the Brazilian, then the Whites could be on course for another solid campaign in English football's top flight.