Marcelo Bielsa has suggested that Mateusz Klich wanted to leave Leeds United in the summer.
In comments reported by Leeds Live, Marcelo Bielsa has suggested that he was considering letting Mateusz Klich leave Leeds during the summer when he felt that he may be his fourth choice option in midfield.
Klich’s turnaround at Elland Road has been spectacular. Leeds fans only got brief glimpses of the Poland international’s quality during his first year with the Whites, and he spent much of the campaign back on loan in the Eredivisie.
It appeared unlikely that he would have a future with Leeds when he returned last summer. He was initially selected in the pre-season friendlies where the squad was predominantly made up of under-23 prospects and players who were moved on by the end of the window.
However, the 28-year-old stood out in those games and gradually worked his way back into the picture. Nevertheless, few would have imagined that Adam Forshaw picking up an injury just before the opening game of the Championship season would prove to be such a turning point for Klich, who scored the opening goal in the stunning 3-1 win against Stoke at Elland Road.
And he has since enjoyed an outstanding year, scoring eight goals in total and contributing seven assists in the Championship to help position Leeds right in the automatic-promotion mix heading into the final eight fixtures of the season.
And ahead of the midfielder’s 50th appearance for the club, Bielsa outlined just how well Klich has done to force his way back into the plans.
“Yes,” he said, as reported by Leeds Live, when asked whether Klich wanted to leave in the summer “Forshaw was the best player in pre-season. Ronaldo was a talented young player in the club. Baker was the new solution for this position. In this moment we played against Las Palmas, Klich played, then I was thinking Klich was the best. Before that, I thought about moving Klich out because he would be fourth choice.
“To have one player as a fourth option in one position is not the best thing because then you are keeping the player and he will not play. Unbelievable his behaviour on the pitch. When something is positive I sometimes say it is better than it is, but there are few players like Klich making so many things in the right way. A lot of players attack and defend like him, make movements like him, they can play both sides too, more in the middle or sides, of all these we have a lot of players, but bind them in the same player is so difficult.”
Bielsa will be hoping that Klich’s form inspires some of those currently on the periphery of the Leeds squad who perhaps fear that they could be heading for the exit. No-one would have predicted just how influential the Pole would be this year, so perhaps one or two of his teammates could look to follow in his footsteps when they return ahead of next season.
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