Leeds United target Ola Aina looks set to miss out on a return to the Premier League after a sudden injury-blow forced Serie A outfit Torino into a change of heart, as reported by Calciomercato.
Not so long ago, it seemed only a matter of time before the former Chelsea youngster was posing for photos at Elland Road, a white-yellow-and-blue scarf in hand and with Victor Orta’s arm draped around his shoulder.
Reports in Italy at the start of January claimed that Aina, who joined Torino in a £9 million in 2019, was free to leave – so long as Il Granata found a replacement.
And with Torino cancelling Mohamed Fares’ loan spell at Lazio, it looked as if they had done exactly that. Found another right-back ready to step up and take Aina’s place in Ivan Juric’s starting XI.
That was, however, until Fares suffered an ACL injury in action for Algeria at the African Cup of Nations.
With that, Fares’ season is over. With that, Aina’s hopes of a return to English football have gone up in smoke.
Will Leeds sign a right-back this month?
Calciomercato report that Torino president Urbano Cairo will now block Aina’s move to West Yorkshire.
The Nigeria international, who spent last season on loan at Fulham, could be free leave in the summer.
But will Leeds still be keen on their January target by the time June rolls around?
Where one door closes, however, another opens.
ESPN reported before Christmas that Leeds, now seven points above the relegation zone despite last week’s oh-so-frustrating 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle United, are big admirers of Ajax’s rampaging right-back Noussair Mazraoui.
Mazraoui will be a free-agent in four months’ time.
And, speaking earlier this week, he admitted that he plans to leave the Eredivisie champions in 2022, rating the chances of him signing a new contract at a measly 5 per cent.
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