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Tom Pearce has surprisingly been linked with the Leeds United exit this summer, but perhaps Marcelo Bielsa has hinted that he is going nowhere.

According to a report from the Yorkshire Evening Post, Marcelo Bielsa has split his Leeds United squad into three groups heading into pre-season, with just 12 players currently included in the first-team group that he plans to work with closely – though others such as Pontus Jansson, Ronaldo Vieira and Tyler Roberts are expected to add to those numbers at a later date.

The Yorkshire Evening Post adds that there are two further groups: one that includes under-23s as well as some first-team players whose futures are yet to be decided, and those who are not in Bielsa’s plans.

So perhaps one player’s inclusion in Bielsa’s top group is clear a sign that he is going nowhere this summer amid surprise reports that the Whites could be willing to sell during this window.

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Tom Pearce enjoyed a superb end to last season. The left-back went into the campaign struggling to hold down a spot in the under-23 side, but his impressive form for the youngsters saw him force his way into the senior team as Laurens De Bock endured a miserable time following his January move.

Interestingly however, there was a major question mark lingering over his future with his deal set to expire this summer. And while he has since signed a long-term contract at Elland Road, that has not brought an end to the speculation.

The Sun on Sunday (27/05; page 65) reported that Everton and Bournemouth were interested in signing the left-back and Leeds were willing to consider offers despite his new deal reportedly being agreed by that stage.

And more recently, The Sun on Sunday (10/06; page 60) suggested that Pearce could be even be used as part of the potential deal to bring Derby’s Matej Vydra to Leeds this summer. Given those reports, fans would be forgiven for wondering whether his new contract was simply a tactic to ensure that Leeds receive a decent fee for the youngster.

However, with Bielsa putting Pearce in his core group after splitting up the squad, it certainly appears that the new Whites boss has absolutely no intention of letting the academy graduate leave this summer – and given the form that he showed towards the end of last season, that would undoubtedly be an extremely popular decision amongst the fans.

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