Leeds could look to complete their transfer business early this year, having plotted to make Illan Meslier’s deal permanent while taking an interest in Middlesbrough’s Daniel Ayala.
The defender is a player Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa should be well aware of since he is Boro’s captain, and he has a proven track record at this level having won promotion with the north-east outfit.
We were linked with a move for the 29-year-old earlier this week. The Daily Star reported that he was being lined up and Kevin Phillips thinks we have a realistic chance of bringing him in, and suggested he would work well alongside the players currently at our disposal.
Ayala may be rated at £3.6m by Transfermarkt but his contract expires at the end of the season, meaning we could be in pole position to sign him if we make an approach.
Would Daniel Ayala be a good addition this summer?
Yes
No
We already have the lure of being one of the biggest and best teams in the Championship, so potential Premier League football could be impossible for the former Liverpool player to turn down.
That may be what has prompted Phillips’ comments, who told Football Insider:
“I could see that happening, definitely (Ayala signing).
“Whether he will be seen as a first-choice centre-half… If Ben White signs you could see those two working together.
“A young player who can come out with it and Ayala who is a very good defender.”
Ayala has attributes similar to Liam Cooper, it would seem, and that is something we have missed since Pontus Jansson left really.
Gaetano Berardi can provide good communication and leadership skills but he is less reliable that Ayala, who is physical in the air standing at 6 foot 3 and has also shown himself to be useful on the ground, with 1.2 tackles and 5.9 clearances per league game, according to WhoScored.
If Cooper was to be unavailable next season, Ayala could come in and provide the team with similar attributes, making him well-suited to playing alongside Ben White or a player who possesses his traits of being good on the ball.
White’s pass accuracy of 85% could be difficult to replace, particularly as Ayala has managed just 73%, but Marcelo Bielsa may view the Premier league as requiring a different skillset, and that may make the Spaniard a very astute addition.