With the optimism of promotion still rife amongst the fans as 2017 turned to 2018, Leeds United were in need of a promising January transfer window to push them over the line. 

Thomas Christiansen had done a decent job and had the Whites in the hunt for at least a playoff place if they maintained their form.

But the Spaniard clearly felt that more was needed if he was to take Leeds up, and the board clearly agreed.

Nearly £10million was spent on new signings in January with the likes of Adam Forshaw, Tyler Roberts and Laurens De Bock all arriving at Elland Road.

Another midfielder also moved to the club from a little further afield.

This is FLW Rewind where we take a look back at a big decision made by a club, analyse the initial reaction and document what happened next.

21-year-old Yosuke Ideguchi made the bold move to leave Gamba Osaka in his native Japan and travel to Yorkshire after a £500,000 fee was agreed between the two clubs.

The fans were delighted with the arrival, but were baffled when the club decided to send him out on loan immediately to Spanish side Cultural Leonesa:

It is ironic that as soon as the decision was made to send Ideguchi out on loan, the club's season began to disintegrate.

A run of six matches without a win led to Christiansen being sacked on February 4, with the Whites now comfortably behind the league's promotion chasers.

Paul Heckingbottom was brought in but could not turn things around. In the meantime, Ideguchi was being wasted in Spain, playing just four matches for his new club.

The 22-year-old went out on loan again this season to German club Greuther Furth but is still recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.