Leeds Utd eager to secure Firpo upgrade by re-signing former loanee who has since become European titlist

Leeds United are expressing a keen interest in a wide player they had on loan when they were in the Championship who could now become their replacement for Junior Firpo, according to a report.

Firpo has struggled to live up to expectations at left-back since signing from Barcelona in 2021. He made 27 appearances in all competitions last season, but wasn’t particularly convincing. This term, he has only played three times for the first team so far.

Injury issues have prevented Firpo from making an impact under Jesse Marsch. The Leeds boss has instead been turning to Pascal Struijk, naturally a central defender, as his starting left-back, even when the former Barcelona man has been back in contention.

Leeds do not really have a senior alternative to Firpo. Therefore, as the January transfer window approaches, they are seriously thinking about bringing in more competition at left-back.

According to Football Espana, the Whites could look at a familiar face to solve their issues. In fact, they have put former loanee Alfonso Pedraza on their shortlist of targets.

Pedraza played for Leeds between January and June 2017, when they were still in the Championship. At the time, he was a winger, who ended up scoring once from 14 appearances for the club.

Since his spell with Leeds concluded, Pedraza has gone on to endure additional loan stints with La Liga sides Alaves (in 2017-18) and Real Betis (in 2019-20).

Overall, though, he has cemented his place with his parent club, Villarreal. Over time, they have converted him into more of a left-back; all 12 of his appearances this season have been in the defensive line.

In total, Pedraza now has 147 Villarreal appearances to his name. From those games, he has scored 11 goals and added 18 assists. He was also a member of their squad that won the Europa League in 2021, starting the final at left-back against Manchester United.

Earlier this year, Villarreal extended Pedraza’s contract until 2026. However, according to the report, they have now realised it might be a good time to cash in on him.

Football Espana suggests Leeds are showing a strong interest in bringing Pedraza back to Elland Road, this time with the added lure of being a Premier League club.

That said, the report warns that they face competition from Serie A giants Inter Milan, who have Champions League football on offer.

Hence, Pedraza could have an interesting decision to make either next month or in the summer. Per the report, he would be open to considering a future away from Villarreal, despite being content there.

If he was to return to Leeds, he might be able to hit the ground running. Things have changed since he was last there, including the league they play in and the coach in charge, but there could be a regular role ready and waiting for him.

In contrast, he could opt for a new challenge in Italy. Inter typically play a formation with wing-backs, which might be the ideal way to make the most of his attacking qualities.

Leeds fans have grown frustrated in recent months when losing out on targets to other clubs. Hence, they will be wary of Inter’s rival interest in Pedraza.

But if they can bring the Spaniard back, he might be more impactful this time around.

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