Former Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere is being monitored by European Giants Ajax as well as Portuguese side Sporting CP, according to The Telegraph.
The defender left the Welsh outfit to join fellow Championship side Coventry City last summer. That followed the conclusion of his three-year deal at the club.
A product of the Man City youth setup, Latibeaudiere never played a professional game for the Cityzens. However, his fortunes quickly changed upon moving to the Swans. After making only a handful of appearances in his first season, the Jamaican international went on to play 69 matches in his final two years there.
However, this season he has continued to excel in a flourishing Mark Robins side. Having already played over 40 games this season, as well as scoring three goals from the back line, it is no major surprise that the 24-year-old is being monitored by some big clubs across Europe.
The Telegraph are reporting that Ajax and Sporting are the two sides monitoring the defender. If it were to be the Primeira Liga side who made the move, then the Doncaster-born man would be following in the footsteps of Victor Gyokeres. The Swede left the West Midlands club last summer to join the 2021 Portuguese champions.
Latibeaudiere’s versatility is one of his strongest assets, having played a variety of different positions already this season, including central defence, but also as a right-sided full-back and occasionally moved forward into more of a defensive midfield role.
Whether the Sky Blues can keep hold of the player in the summer could come down to the division they find themselves in. The FA-Cup semi-finalists currently sit seventh in the second tier, only four points off Norwich City in sixth.
Writer’s View
The former Man City man has excelled this season at Coventry so it is no surprise to see him linked with such big moves. If last summer is anything to go by, the club are clearly willing to sell some of their higher value assets in a bid for profit, and so far, the reinvestments have gone well.
If this sale were to happen this year, it could actually strengthen a promotion push over the coming seasons. On the one hand, they’ll be losing a top player, but with a move likely to be on the more expensive side, and recruitment clearly being a strength at the CBS arena, fans will be safe in the knowledge that the money will be well spent.
