If Alvaro Negredo wanted money, he’d have bitten China’s hand off. But could Leeds United really lure the Euro 2012 winner to Elland Road?
When reports emerged that Alvaro Negredo could be about to swap the Castellon coast for Elland Road, the phrase ‘silly season’ came to mind. According to Super Deporte, the 31-year-old centre-forward will be let go by Valencia this summer as he is not part of new manager Marcelino Garcia Toral’s plans.
And the fact that Leeds’ new technical director, Victor Orta, was instrumental in Middlesbrough landing Negredo on loan last season has given rise to speculation that he could repeat the trick in West Yorkshire.
Signing Negredo would be a huge statement by Leeds
While rumours have been greeted with a great deal of scepticism, Negredo was earning £100,000-a-week at Boro last season after all, there’s no getting away from the fact that the Spaniard would be one of the most impressive coups in Leeds’ recent history.
Sure, he only netted 10 Premier League goals for Boro last season, failing to keep them in the top flight, but Negredo is a striker with great pedigree. He won La Liga’s Golden Boot award twice with Sevilla, lifted the Premier League trophy at Manchester City and was also part of the history-making Spain squad that seized Euro 2012 with a 4-0 thrashing of Italy.
Money no motivator?
Furthermore, although the goals have dried up in recent seasons, Negredo appears to have an appetite for a new challenge. Super Deporte claim that the former Real Madrid youngster has already rejected a big-money offer from China while also rebuffing interest from Turkey.
This shows that Negredo is not ready to put his feet up, swap his studs for slippers and watch the money roll in. Perhaps, then, he would be prepared to take a pay cut and attempt to guide Leeds back to the Premier League?
At 31, Negredo still has time on his side and, although he was hardly consistent at The Riverside, an impressive run of form in the second half of the Premier League season suggests his goalscoring instinct remains.
Rejecting China and all its riches suggests Negredo has one last big challenge in Europe.
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