Villarreal have tied Alfonso Pedraza down to a new contract.
Fulham’s Tim Ream in action with Alfonso Pedraza
He may not have set the world alight at Leeds United, but AS report that winger Alfonso Pedraza has penned a new contract with Villarreal, which includes an increased release clause.
Pedraza, 21, joined Leeds on loan in January having had his loan stint with Lugo cut short in order to sign for the Whites – but his spell at Elland Road didn’t quite live up to expectations.
The Spanish winger registered just one goal in 14 Championship appearances for Leeds, whilst he was unable to notch even one assist before returning to Villarreal earlier this summer.
The deal included a clause whereby Leeds could sign Pedraza permanently for €10million (now worth £8.75million) if the Whites – then managed by Garry Monk – won promotion to the Premier League.
Alfonso Pedraza celebrates scoring for Leeds
After missing out on a play-off place, that permanent deal won’t go ahead, and Pedraza may not even be available for loan again after Villarreal extended his contract on Friday.
AS report that after clubs looked at signing Pedraza permanently, Villarreal have increased his release clause, and has a real chance of playing first-team football with the La Liga side, despite his underwhelming spell with Leeds.
Fikayo Tomori of Brighton and Hove Albion in action with Alfonso Pedraza
With Monk now replaced by Thomas Christiansen, Leeds may not have been pursuing a deal for Pedraza anyway, but any lingering hopes of a return to Elland Road have surely been ended by this latest development.
As Leeds target Lugano winger Ezgjan Alioski, it seems that they are ready to move on from Pedraza, with fans potentially interested to see how he progresses with Villarreal next season having failed to hit top form in England last term.
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