Birmingham City are eyeing a move for Ajax defender Mitchell Dijks. The Championship side are willing to do well after a horrific relegation scare in the last season. Harry Redknapp will be handed a decent transfer kitty after rescuing the team from getting dropped to the League One and he would like to use a portion of the fund to bring this player to St Andrew’s.
Dijks spent a brief amount of last season at Norwich City on loan where he had a very fruitful season with the Canaries. Norwich did have the chance to buy him permanently but the club couldn’t match his valuation and thus decided to end the negotiations.
Dijks had made 15 starts for the club in the Championship and Redknapp wants to rope him in. At six feet four, the left back has an unusual presence and Redknapp wants to use this in the next season. With only a year left on his contract, Ajax might use this chance to make some money. A bid of £4m should be able to tempt the player back to England.
Dijks has a very impressive CV. The 24-year-old has featured 13 times for the Netherland U-21 side. He was also called up to the senior side but is yet to make an appearance for them.
The 24-year-old made his debut against PSV in 2012. He accumulated a total of six caps in his debut season as Ajax went on to lift the Eredivisie title.
Dijks has been the preferred choice for the Canaries on the left-hand side of the defence after the departure of Martin Olsson to Swansea City. A very popular figure among the Norwich fans, he attracted the supporters with his flamboyant playing style.
Having finished the season in the 19th position, Redknapp will be looking for some redemption in the upcoming season. Redknapp currently has two formidable left backs in Jonathan Grounds and Cheick Keita but he wants to introduce some competition in the current side.
The towering defender would be a good addition keeping in minds of the physical proportion of the Championship. Dijks came through the ranks of Ajax and also had a brief loan spell at Heerenveen. In 2014, he left for Willem ll but after impressing at the club he was brought back by Ajax. He was again sent on loan in January this season and has emerged as a key player for the Canaries.
