Feyenoord manager Robin van Persie has hinted that striker Ayase Ueda could be leaving this summer, amid reports of interest from Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Leeds United and Tottenham circling
Ayase Ueda has been impressing in the Netherlands this season, with 25 goals to his name in 29 games in the Eredivisie so far.
The Japanese striker is well on his way to securing the golden boot and this has not gone unnoticed.
Reports in England this week have stated that both Leeds and Tottenham have the striker on their radar. Both clubs are reportedly set to approach the Dutch club for the attacker in the summer.
Those reports have, naturally, made their way to the Netherlands. And the question of the striker’s future was put to Van Persie ahead of the clash with Fortuna Sittard. He was clear about his own preferences but sounded unconvinced that Ueda would stay.
“From my point of view, I hope he is there next year. He is super important for us and within our style of play,” he said.
“He started very well, then had a somewhat weaker period, and we talked about that as well. It is nice to see that he bounced back from that; it also speaks volumes about his character.”
“From his perspective, it might be a good time to make a move, but that is not up to me. I have no idea if that is realistic, but as I said: I hope he stays.”
Leeds or Tottenham?
Given his impressive performances for Feyenoord, Leeds and Tottenham are unlikely to be the only sides in the mix for Ayase Ueda this summer.
He will surely wait to see what options he has available before making any big decisions. After all, Tottenham may not be a Premier League side by the time a transfer can be sorted.
Van Persie’s latest comments certainly sound like a manager who is expecting something to happen either way, if he would prefer that it wasn’t.