Former Sheffield Wednesday defender Zigor Aranalde is set to join Leeds United as Javi Gracia’s assistant manager.
That’s according to Leeds Live, who claim that Aranalde will be Gracia’s assistant at Elland Road.
It sounds like a deal is already in place for Aranalde to make the move to Leeds imminently.
When Gracia became the top target for the Leeds job earlier this week, we highlighted that Aranalde could be following him.
The pair worked together at Watford, Valencia and even Al Sadd in Qatar, so another reunion makes perfect sense.
Aranalde’s history in English football makes him particularly ideal for the job and Leeds should confirm his arrival pretty soon.
Who is Leeds United-bound Zigor Aranalde?
Aranalde was born in Ibarra in the Basque region of Spain, just about an hour away from Pamplona – the hometown of Gracia.
The pair never actually crossed paths as teammates in their playing careers but maybe knew each other having been of a similar age and being from a similar region.
Aranalde turned out for the likes of Hernani, Eibar, Atletico Marbella, Sevilla, Albacete and Logrones in Spain.
A move to England materialised in 2000 as he joined Walsall, racking up nearly 200 league appearances for the Saddlers.
Aranalde headed to Yorkshire with Sheffield Wednesday in 2005 but moved on to Carlisle United after just two appearances.
The left back turned out more than 100 times for Carlisle and finished his career back in Spain with Almansa and La Gineta.
Aranalde turned to coaching with Albacete but only after scouting roles at Brighton and Hove Albion and West Bromwich Albion.
Gracia picked Aranalde to be his assistant at Watford in 2018 and that has started a great partnership between the pair.
Gracia brought Aranalde to Valencia and Al Sadd with Leeds now set to be their next job together.
Aranalde has been hailed an ‘absolute top man’ by former Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster, who hailed the Spaniard for integrating himself at Vicarage Road.
“Zigor Aranalde, the assistant coach, was top, honestly. He was an absolute top man,” said Foster. “He was very good at integrating himself amongst the players and becoming sort of a bit of a shoulder to cry on for them,” he added.
It now looks like Aranalde is heading back to Yorkshire with Leeds, assisting Gracia once again.
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