Villarreal’s former Leeds United left-back Alfonso Pedraza could be in line for a £13 million move to Serie A giants Inter Milan after a superb run of form at the La Liga club, according to Revelo.
Luis Enrique’s decision to hand Jordi Alba a place in his Spain squad for the September international break certainly raised an eyebrow or two. Not just because Alba had lost his place in the Barcelona XI to young Alejandro Balde. Not just because he and Enrique have endured a rather strained relationship in the past.
But because Spain’s top flight is hardly lacking in exciting, homegrown left-backs; from Alex Moreno to Javi Galan and the swashbuckling Pedraza.
After four goals and seven assists for Villarreal in 2021/22 – Pedraza a runaway express train thundering down the tracks as Unai Emery’s side stunned Bayern Munich and Juventus en route to the Champions League semi-finals – the one-time Elland Road loanee is picking up where he left of.
So much so that, according to Revelo and Gazzetta dello Sport, Pedraza is now a leading candidate to replace the out-of-favour Robin Gosens at Inter Milan. The Villarreal academy graduate is valued at around £13 million, with a loan-to-buy deal on the cards.
Villarreal may be tempted to cash in too. They already have an excellent replacement in 19-time Colombia international Johan Mojica.
Alfonso Pedraza has come a long way since Leeds United spell
“I could never have imagined that I’d be where I am today,” Pedraza told The Athletic in 2021. “I am at a great club, which is a dream. I’m very proud of what I and the team are doing.”
Pedraza has taken his game to yet another level since then. As the jet-heeled 26-year-old powered through Juventus’ powderpuff backline time and again in February, he’d have been forgiven for looking back to that 14-game loan spell in England’s second tier and marvelling at just how far he’s come.
From Burton Albion to Bayern Munich. From St Andrews to Anfield. The Championship to the Champions League.
“I felt I adapted on a personal level pretty well,” Pedraza said, reflecting on that 2017/18 stint at Leeds; a loan that could have been made permanent had Garry Monk’s side not tripped over their own feet in the final few yards of their play-off race.
Leeds were fourth, six points off the top when Pontus Jansson scored a late winner at Blackburn in February 2017. By the time they drew 1-1 with Wigan on the final day, they were seventh.
“I felt very loved by the fans,” Pedraza adds; the unhappy end to his Elland Road life not tainting his memories of time in West Yorkshire. “I was genuinely very happy to play for Leeds and experience the Championship. It is a beautiful league to me, where you play every three days.
“The move helped me to grow up. Leeds as a city is very fun and very beautiful.”
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