The Leeds United midfielder revealed how long ago he heard of interest from the Whites – and it was potentially a month before Garry Monk quit.
Mateusz Klich has told LUTV that he knew of Leeds United’s interest in him before his season with FC Twente finished.
The 27-year-old midfielder became the first signing of Thomas Christiansen’s era as head coach after penning a three-year deal with the Yorkshire club on Friday.
According to The Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds held off late interest from Middlesbrough – now managed by Garry Monk, who quit the Whites last month – in order to sign the Poland international.
And Klich claims that he was informed about United’s interest in signing him as far back as April potentially, after saying it was possibly five matches before the Eredivisie season ended.
He told LUTV: “I think it was last season, like five games before the end, or maybe three games. I don’t remember exactly.
“But they showed some interest and when I heard Leeds wanted me I said, ‘I have to go. It’s a great challenge’. I like challenges so I hope everything will be fine.”
FC Twente’s last league match of the 2016-17 campaign came on May 14 – 11 days before Monk suddenly quit Leeds and 16 days before Victor Orta was appointed as the club’s Director of Football.
It would have been around April 22 if the Yorkshire club first enquired about Klich with three games to go in the Dutch season and Klich’s comments might suggest that Monk had planned on bringing him to Elland Road, which would support the speculation that the 38-year-old wanted him at Middlesbrough recently.
Owner and chairman Andrea Radrizzani was a 50 percent shareholder at the time, so it is possible that it was the Italian – who now owns 100 percent – who maintained an interest in bringing him to Leeds even after the 38-year-old resigned.
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