Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa told Lewis Baker that he would like to keep him next season before the midfielder’s loan ended.
Baker’s loan at Elland Road appears to be over, with Leeds Live reporting that he is heading back to Chelsea after a difficult spell with the Championship leaders.
The 23-year-old started just two league games for the Whites, with a further nine appearances coming from the bench. And unfortunately for the second tier side, he was unable to make too much of an impact when he did feature.
Nevertheless, Bielsa has insisted that he not only wanted Baker to stay at Leeds for the rest of the season, but he told him that he would also like him to be at the club next year.
“He was always inside the group,” he said, as reported by Leeds Live. “Even if it’s true he hasn’t played a lot. Maybe he felt we did not value him at the right level.
“The only time I talked to him about this subject I not only told him I wanted him to stay with us, I told him even into the next year I wanted to keep him, but I understand he took another decision.”
It is not clear whether Bielsa was eyeing a permanent deal for the midfielder or would have sought another loan spell. But his comments certainly make Baker’s decision look like a gamble.
Of course, the youngster would have probably expected more minutes when he joined the club in the summer – especially as he was Leeds’ first signing of the window – but Bielsa’s comments suggest that he had a lot of faith in Baker.
But with another underwhelming loan spell in the Championship under his belt, it would certainly appear that the Chelsea man is now under plenty of pressure when it comes to selecting his next move.
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