This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Swansea City have joined league rivals Watford in taking an interest in Galatasaray full-back Patrick Van Aanholt, according to a report from gazetevatan.com.

The 32-year-old linked up with the Turkish Super Lig outfit last year and has made nine competitive appearances this term, recording two assists in the process as he looks to make a real difference in Istanbul.

However, he could make a return to England just 18 months after his departure from Crystal Palace, but may need to take a step down if he is open to a move with Championship sides Swansea and Watford both believed to be interested in him.

 

 

The latter are arguably in need of a left-back with Hasanne Kamara looking set to head to Udinese at the end of the campaign - and will surely have the funds to get a deal for the Dutchman over the line following the summer sale of Emmanuel Dennis.

Looking at this deal from Swansea's perspective though, would he be a good signing for them? And is he needed at the Swansea.com Stadium?

We asked three of our writers at Football League World to answer these two key questions.

Ned Holmes

On a six-month contract, this could work as an extra set of legs on the left flank as Swansea push for promotion after January.

Russell Martin already has two strong options on the left in Matthew Sorinola and Ryan Manning while 21-year-old Nathanael Ogbeta looks like one for the future.

With all that in mind, van Aanholt shouldn't be a priority or someone brought in on a lengthy deal.

But it sounds like he could be available cheaply and they may be able to agree a short-term contract, which would work.

Simmey Hannifin-Donaldson

I'm quite surprised to see Swansea linked with this one to be honest.

It's not exactly a long-term signing given he is 32 years old, and I'm not sure bringing him in does much for them in the short term either.

Sure, it would be more depth, but they already have Ryan Manning and Matthew Sorinola who can play that left wing-back role, even if the latter has been deployed on the right frequently.

Of course, if some sort of bargain deal could be struck it would do no harm, but I wouldn't have thought van Aanholt would be a priority for Swansea in January.

Adam Jones

Some Swansea supporters will probably be keen to see an alternative to Matthew Sorinola - and van Aanholt is certainly someone who could compete with Ryan Manning for a spot at left wing-back.

If they are to complete this signing though, they will surely need to offload Sorinola because the Swans won't be keen to have their wage bill too high and the Dutchman is unlikely to be on a low salary if he links up with the Welsh side.

Also having plenty of time left on his deal in Turkey, it may take a decent fee to recruit him and they should only be looking to spend a limited amount because he's 32 now.

With this in mind, he's unlikely to be a long-term addition and this is why they may be best served opting against this move.

If they want a short-term fix though, the Dutchman could be a decent addition as a player that has plenty of experience in England under his belt and can be a real asset in the final third too, showing his attacking qualities during his time at Selhurst Park.