WINGER COMPLETES DEADLINE DAY SWITCH

WINGER COMPLETES DEADLINE DAY SWITCH

Congo international Jordan Botaka joins from Dutch side Excelsior...

We are delighted to announce the signing of winger Jordan Botaka on a two-year deal from Dutch club Excelsior.

The 22-year-old, a DR Congo international, has moved to Elland Road for an undisclosed fee. He becomes United’s eighth new arrival of the summer and the first on transfer deadline day.

Botaka said: “I am very happy, it happened very fast. In two or three days everything was arranged, it was just crazy.

“I knew Leeds were a big club. I looked a few things up and I heard from other people. This is a new adventure for me.”

Botaka, nicknamed ‘The Wizard’ for his trickery and speed, began his professional career in Belgium with Club Brugge, but departed for Excelsior in 2013 after a brief loan spell at Portuguese side Belenenses.

He quickly established himself as a regular with Excelsior and helped them to Eredivise promotion in his first season at the club. Botaka featured 33 times in the Dutch top-flight last term and had been ever-present so far this campaign.

As a youngster he was capped three times at Under-19s level for the Netherlands, but he instead opted to represent Congo and made his full international debut for them earlier this year.

Botaka is currently away on international duty with DR Congo and will link up with his new team-mates next week at Thorp Arch after facing Central Africa.

Uwe Rosler had made no secret of his desire to bring in a winger before Tuesday’s 6pm deadline, and Botaka becomes the head coach’s eighth new addition of a productive summer for the club.

The winger follows Charlie Horton, Lee Erwin, Sol Bamba, Chris Wood, Tom Adeyemi (loan), Ross Turnbull and Stuart Dallas through the door at Elland Road, and he could make his United debut against Brentford a week on Saturday (September 12).

Botaka has been given squad number 20.

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