Why Andre Ayew could be a massive coup for Leeds United in January
According to claims from GhanaSoccerNet, as cited by Wales Online, Leeds United are plotting a sensational swoop for Swansea City star Andre Ayew ahead of the January transfer window.
GhanaSoccerNet (h/t Wales Online) has cited Ayew’s good relationship with Whites’ boss Marcelo Bielsa back during his playing days at Marseille in France as a key factor that could possibly help a deal come to fruition during the mid-season trading period.
However, as per the report, Swansea City are yet to hear anything from the West Yorkshire giants regarding their interest in the 30-year-old, who has sparked an incredible U-turn of fortunes at the Liberty Stadium this season.
Ayew, who returned to the Welsh outfit this past summer after spending the entirety of the previous campaign on loan at Fenerbahce, looked set for a permanent exit from the Liberty Stadium but Steve Cooper somehow convinced the Ghanaian to stay put.
The veteran has repaid the manager’s faith in his abilities with a string of top-notch displays in the Championship this term, impressing with his creativity, eye for goal and work-rate to guide the Swans to a strong first half of the campaign.
In fact, Ayew has almost single-handedly carried the bulk of the club’s goalscoring duties on his shoulders, with Borja Baston fading away after a promising start.
The Ghanaian international has already bagged 7 goals and 4 assists in 20 appearances for Swansea, including four Man-of-the-Match performances, and his red-hot form has apparently put promotion rivals Leeds United on red alert ahead of the January window.
Meanwhile, Leeds United are also flying high in the Championship and have once again emerged as one of the outright favourites for automatic promotion following an incredible run of form in the first half of the season.
Patrick Bamford continues to Bielsa’s undisputed first-choice striker to lead the attack, with Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah an able back-up to the former Chelsea man.
Pablo Hernandez has once again turned the clock back with some stellar displays, however, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Whites bring in another creative player in January to boost their chances of securing automatic promotion.
To put things into perspective, Leeds United’s links with Andre Ayew looks a bit bizarre on paper but the Ghanaian could, indeed, be an inspired addition to the club’s forward line with his wealth of experience, as well as his versatility to play in multiple positions in the final third.
As per whoscored, Ayew boasts of a pass success rate of 78.9%, including an average of 2.7 aerial duels, 1.9 tackles, 2.7 shots, 1 key pass, 1.8 dribbles and 1 long ball per game in the Championship this term.
Besides his obvious pedigree as a goalscoring creative outlet, those numbers speak volumes of his work-rate to track back and defend while also throwing light on his physicality and aerial ability, traits which are often hard to find in wide attacking players.
Ayew might not be an out-and-out centre-forward by any means but his previous experience of working under Bielsa could aid the Ghanaian in settling down.
As per the report, Swansea might consider cashing in on Andre Ayew if the right offer is put on the table. The 30-year-old, who is currently the highest-earning player at Swansea, is out of contract at the Liberty Stadium in 2021, meaning that getting him off the book could go a long way towards helping the Swans trim down their wage bills.
Verdict
Looking at things from Leeds’ perspective, Ayew is a player with proven pedigree in the Premier League. They would be well within their rights to expect him to play a part for them in the top-flight next season should they manage to secure promotion.
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All in all, getting a deal over the line for the Swansea City star would be a massive statement of intent from the West Yorkshire giants as they look to end their long exile from the Premier League.
