Leeds United have just been handed a major transfer boost this week.
According to the Daily Mail, reported summer target Daniel Ayala has refused to finish the season out at Championship rivals Middlesbrough and has rejected the short-term extension offered to him, meaning he’s free to leave the northeast outfit at the end of the month.
This surely opens the door for Leeds, who have persistently been linked with the Spaniard over the course of the season.
Just last week, Football Insider claimed that the 29-year-old was one of Victor Orta’s top summer targets with the Whites director of football a keen admirer, so much so that he’s recommended Ayala to Marcelo Bielsa.
Would Daniel Ayala be a good move for Leeds?
100%
No way!
It’s even suggested that the two parties have already opened up talks over a potential deal.
Bielsa is going to need to bolster his backline this summer, there’s no doubting that.
Loan star Ben White is almost certainly set to return to Brighton this summer, where he will either be promoted to their first-team or will be up for sale, but Leeds would face a major battle in keeping him as the likes of Liverpool and both Manchester clubs have been mooted with interest by Phil Hay.
In addition, Gaetano Berardi sees his contract expire at the end of the current campaign, too.
However, it remains to be seen if Ayala would be cut out for a Premier League challenge, particularly as his numbers for this campaign in the second tier aren’t exactly phenomenal.
He’s averaging a measly 73.4% passing accuracy rate, which raises questions to whether he’d even be the right fit for Bielsa’s system as well as 0.2 key passes, 1 foul and just 1.2 tackles per game, via WhoScored.
White outranks him in every facet.
What do you think? Should Leeds swoop in for Ayala this month?