According to the Sheffield Star, Sheffield Wednesday defender Joost van Aken is open to staying at the club despite recently telling reporters of his plans to leave.
The Dutch defender joined the Owls from Heerenveen in 2017.
Van Aken penned a four-year deal at the time, but his spell at Hillsborough has been plagued with injuries and inconsistency with his contract now expiring this summer.
The Dutch defender is free to talk to foreign clubs and discuss a pre-contract deal.
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Speaking to Feanonline last month, van Aken admitted he will leave Hillsborough this summer as he plans to embark on a new adventure abroad in a different European league.
“If I go back to the Netherlands, I will probably not come to the Netherlands again. When I do that, it will be real to enjoy the game again and be closer to family. As a person, I would still like to be able to live and play football in another European country for a few years. Italy, Switzerland, Spain … I think that would be nice. My contract will expire next summer and after that I hope to embark on a nice adventure somewhere for a number of years. After that it might be time for a return to the Netherlands,” van Aken explained.
But the latest reports now claim van Aken is possibly going to perform a U-turn.
The Star say the versatile defender is considering his options and even open to extending his stay at Wednesday, despite interest from clubs abroad.
Van Aken has been in and out of Wednesday’s first team this season.
The 26-year-old has started 16 Championship games with the majority of those under former boss Tony Pulis. He has yet to feature for the Owls in 2021.
Injuries have kept him side-lined since the 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers on Boxing day.
Despite not reaching the heights expected since joining Wednesday, van Aken’s absence of late has been felt with the club’s mounting injuries leaving them short of options.
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