Here are your Leeds United transfer rumours for Thursday, October 20.
Pedraza talks
Ex-Leeds loanee Alfonso Pedraza held talks with Serie A heavyweights Inter Milan in the summer, and Juventus and Atalanta have also been keeping tabs on the Villarreal left-back.
Pedraza arrived at Leeds on a season-long loan from Villarreal in January 2017. The deal included an option to buy for £8.5 million provided that Leeds achieved promotion to the Premier League.
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Leeds subsequently won just one of their last eight games to miss out on the Championship play-offs under Garry Monk. Pedraza returned to Villarreal after amassing 14 appearances for the Whites, and has broken into the Villarreal first team during the last three seasons, after loan spells at Alaves and Real Betis respectively.
The 26-year-old featured in every game in the knockout phase as Villarreal reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last term. He has played every single minute in La Liga for the Yellow Submarine in 2022/23, and Pedraza's agent Hector Peris Ros has revealed that a number of Italian clubs are monitoring the former Spain under-21 international.
"We spoke with Inter in August," Peris Ros told Italian outlet Gazetta dello Sport. "But there was not enough time to negotiate.
"Atalanta asked for information more than once in the past. Pedraza has a contract with Villarreal until 2026. He does not need to leave. But the club and the player know that an offer from a top club can arrive.
"We often speak to Juventus, and we are on excellent terms. Pedraza could be an idea, let's see."
Gakpo admission
PSV Eindhoven attacker Cody Gakpo has revealed that he nearly joined Leeds United in the summer after a proposed transfer to Manchester United fell through.
Gakpo was linked with a move to the Red Devils, who subsequently signed Antony from Ajax for a fee of £86 million. The Dutchman faced a choice between Leeds and Southampton during the final week of the summer transfer window, but opted to stay in Eindhoven.
Leeds sporting director Victor Orta even boarded a jet to Eindhoven to begin negotiations, but ultimately returned to West Yorkshire empty-handed.
"I was close to leaving, I spoke to Erik ten Hag a few times at Manchester United," Gakpo told The Times.
"In the end the deal didn't go through, which was a shame, for me and my development, and because Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world. But also for PSV, because to transfer a player to Manchester United is a good thing for the club.
"It ended about a week before the end of the transfer window and in that week I had to decide if I would go to Leeds or Southampton. In the end I stayed, but it was a stressful period."
Gakpo has further increased his value with a blistering start to the 2022/23 season at PSV. The 23-year-old has captained PSV in the absence of the injured Luuk de Jong and has racked up a formidable total of 13 goals and 11 assists in 18 matches across all competitions.
He has also scored two goals in his last three internationals for the Netherlands and has been tipped to shine at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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