Has Marcelo Bielsa got what he wanted?
Before Marcelo Bielsa’s appointment was made official, talks dragged on far longer than anybody would have wanted.
While it’s easy to say none of that matters now, it really does, as it enabled Bielsa to make demands and ensure Leeds is run how he wants it.
The Mirror reported Bielsa wanted total control in team affairs and the final say on transfers.
This is so important after he quit at Lazio after just two days after the club worked against his requests to bring players in.
But most crucially, it suggests he has already identified Leeds United’s biggest problem last season, poor recruitment.
Many players brought in by sporting director Victor Orta are not up to scratch and could have to be sold already, including Laurens De Bock, Pawel Cibicki, Felix Wiedwald and Jay-Roy Grot.
Bielsa’s appointment is unlikely to lead to Orta’s exit, but it will give the Argentine the final say.
This should hopefully see Leeds work with a better strike rate of hit signings over misses.
It has been claimed by Argentine outlet Diario De Cuyo report negotiations with Bielsa have been ongoing for two months – and that he has watched hundreds of hours of videos of the team.
This will lead him in no uncertain terms to realise that major upgrades are required across the team.
If he has indeed already convinced Leeds to bow to his terms and give him final approval on every deal, then he may just have cracked their biggest problem, enabling him the chance to veto players who are not up to par, and more of a say in the recruitment as a whole than their previous two bosses.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
