OPINION
Leeds United must make a swoop to sign Swansea defender Mike van der Hoorn in the summer transfer window after it was reported that the Dutchman could be available for free.
The Sun has reported that although Swansea wanted £10million for van der Hoorn, 26, in the January transfer window, his contract at the Liberty Stadium is set to expire at the end of the season and that means that Victor Orta could make a cut-price swoop for the centre-back’s signature.
It is understood that Aston Villa showed interest in signing van der Hoorn in January and could maintain that interest later in 2019 if he becomes a free agent.
Leeds are going to need to sign one or two new centre-backs in the summer regardless of whether or not they are promoted.
Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson are the only two natural centre-backs in the senior squad at Elland Road right now and both of them have had issues with injuries and suspensions over the past few campaigns.
That has meant that Kalvin Phillips, Gaetano Berardi and Aapo Halme have all filled in at centre-half on the occasion this term and that is hardly good enough for a team that wants promotion – or a team that could be in the Premier League in 2019/20.
Van der Hoorn has been in solid form for Swansea this season, earning 32 appearances in all competitions for the Welsh club.
Despite the Swans being 13th in the Championship table, they have a better defensive record that table-toppers Norwich, fourth-placed West Brom and ninth-placed Aston Villa, and that is largely down to the impact that van der Hoorn has had.
The former Ajax and Netherlands Under-21s centre-back has Premier League experience with the Swans so he could make a solid back-up option for the Whites in the Premier League, or he could even be a starter at Elland Road if the Whites miss out on promotion this term.
Either way, if he is available for free, you cannot ignore the fact that his price-tag could drop by £10million in the space of a few months.
Leeds have to try and strike a deal up for the 6ft 3 (transfermarkt) defender this summer, it would be an absolute masterstroke by Orta.