Should Leeds boss Thomas Christiansen’s connections and knowledge tempt Whites into fresh bid for Alfonso Pedraza?

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Alfonso Pedraza spent the second-half of last season on loan at Leeds United, and it had appeared that he would not be returning.

Thomas Christiansen

Thomas Christiansen – the man surprisingly chosen to replace Garry Monk as Leeds United boss – spent the majority of his playing career in Spain and represented the country at international level on a couple of occasions.

One of the clubs who Christiansen played for during his career was Villarreal, spending around two years with the Yellow Submarine, so perhaps it would not be out of the question to suggest that his connections with the club and knowledge of Spanish football as a whole should tempt the Whites into a fresh bid for a player who had previously ruled out an Elland Road return.

Alfonso Pedraza spent the latter half of last season on loan with the Whites. Though he looked bright at times, making some exciting runs with the ball at his feet and showing that he was not afraid to get stuck in, his performances meant that his recent interview with Marca was not met with a particularly strong response from the Leeds faithful.

In the interview, the 21-year-old winger insisted that he planned to stay in Spain and alluded to some of the difficulties that came from his time in Yorkshire, perhaps most notably, the fact that he had arrived midway through the season.

But perhaps Christiansen’s arrival at Leeds may make a move much appealing for all parties.

Alfonso Pedraza endured a mixed time on loan with Leeds

If Villarreal suggest to Pedraza that he may not enjoy the amount of first-team football he is looking for – which is arguably possible given that they were willing to allow an £8.5 million permanent buyout clause to be included in the loan deal that saw him move to England (via Sky Sports) – perhaps it would not be out of the question to argue that they may be open to the idea of letting Pedraza work with Christiansen given his knowledge of the club and of Spanish football.

And if the wide-man does become interested in a switch and can subsequently enjoy a full pre-season working under a manager who may have a good idea of what it will take to get the best out of him, then perhaps he could become the valuable player that he only threatened to be during his previous spell with the club.