Leeds United are among the sides keen to sign Ajax defender Owen Wijndal before the deadline.
Wijndal is reportedly no longer part of the plans at Ajax and Leeds are looking to take advantage of his situation by signing him on loan.
Galatasaray and Rayo Vallecano are also said to be interested in the 24-year-old but it is actually a move to Elland Road which he prefers, as he wants to play in English football.
Wijndal would be the ideal solution to Leeds‘ need to strengthen at full-back as he would provide Junior Firpo with some serious competition at left-back.
Bournemouth’s Max Aarons has also been linked but with Wijndal being a natural left-footer, it would mean the squad is far better balanced if he was to sign instead.
What Leeds target Wijndal once said about his ability
Wijndal has lost his way a tad since joining Ajax in 2022 but prior to that, he was one of the best up and coming left-backs in Europe.
By the age of 22, he had already won 11 caps for the Netherlands, though it has been over three years since his last one.
At AZ Alkmaar, Wijndal had an extremely impressive assist record for a full-back, registering 27 in 143 matches, showing just how much of a threat he is going forward.
It is hard to pinpoint why it has gone downhill for him since then, but Ajax have been on a serious decline in the last couple of years and so it has been hard for anyone to stand out.
Speaking in an interview with Voetbal back in 2021, Wijndal actually labelled himself as the ‘best left-back in the Netherlands’, and so clearly if he can get back to those confidence levels, he would be some signing.
He said: “I am the best left back in the Netherlands. That is my opinion and I think I should be able to say that. Then I don’t include Daley Blind, because he normally plays centrally at Ajax. Nicolás Tagliafico and Philipp Max are of course also great backs, but I think I’m just a bit better.”
What is Leeds’ current transfer state of play?
It would appear Aarons and Wijndal are the two main options for Leeds at full-back and if they can land one of them Daniel Farke would be very well covered at full-back.
In midfield, Ao Tanaka seems like the priority for Leeds right now due to the bargain fee he could potentially be available for.
Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer is another player Leeds have seen a bid rejected for, with Chris Wilder expressing his discontent on Tuesday at how the Whites have gone about it.
After landing Manor Solomon, Leeds could still yet add to their attacking options, with Roland Sallai someone they are pushing for.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
