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MOT View: What has happened to Pedraza since Leeds failed to trigger £8.7m clause in 2017?
Alfonso Pedraza is seen by some Leeds United fans as a player who slipped between the club’s fingers when his loan deal expired at the end of the 2016/17 season.
Leeds signed Pedraza, now 23, on a half-season loan from Villarreal with a view to the move being made permanent if the Whites won promotion from the Championship.
Garry Monk snapped up Pedraza on transfer deadline day in the 2017 January window when Leeds were sat fourth in the Championship standings and were putting in a solid effort to win automatic promotion.
It was agreed, according to Marca, that Leeds would have the option to sign Pedraz permanently for £8.7million if they won promotion.
At the time that agreement made sense but, as everyone knows, the Whites’ promotion bid completely failed and Pedraza returned to Villarreal at the end of his loan spell at Elland Road.
In his time at Leeds, Pedraza scored one goal in 14 Championship appearances but has shone brightly in La Liga since going back to Spain.
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After his time in England, Pedraza was sent on loan to Alaves, where he made 37 appearances, scored four goals and supplied six assists.
Villarreal then used the Spaniard in their first-team in the 2018/19 season and he went on to score four goals and assist five in 45 total appearances.
| GOAL! |
Take a bow, Alfonso Pedraza! 💛
The former #LUFC loanee with a fantastic solo goal 👏
Villarreal lead 2-0! pic.twitter.com/RQqDVhec7d
— ELEVEN SPORTS UK (@ElevenSports_UK) March 30, 2019
Last summer, Pedraza was sent out on loan again when he joined Real Betis on a season-long deal that includes the option for a permanent move.
He has made just 12 appearances this season for Betis and has unfortunately suffered with a number of different issues which surely add doubt to him making a permanent move away from Villarreal.
Pedraza will be out of contract in 2021, meaning that Villarreal may want to sell him this summer in order to cut their losses.
Who knows? Maybe a return to Leeds is on the cards if Marcelo Bielsa fancies him.
In other Leeds United news, this loan stay has expressed his desire to stay at Elland Road.