Marcelo Bielsa is keen to bring his former Marseille defender Nicolas Nkoulou to Leeds United, with Calciomercato reporting that the Torino ace will be a free agent in July.
The Cameroon international knew that the good times were over at the Stade Velodrome when Bielsa packed his bags and shuffled out the door in August 2015.
“I think he should stay because in one year, he has been able to revolutionise the club. For me, Marseille needs a coach like that to become a great institution,” Nkoulou said three months earlier, following an enthralling season under the enigmatic Argentine.
“Personally, I enjoyed working with him. He has given me a lot this season. I was able to get back to the level that I had and which made me known. He’s a coach with really great abilities.”
It is no coincidence that, days after Bielsa resigned, Nkoulou decided that his time at Marseille was over too, asking to leave the Ligue 1 giants at the earliest opportunity.
With reports in Italy suggesting that Bielsa is keen to work with one of his old favourites again at Elland Road, you would assume that the 30-year-old defender would jump at the opportunity.
Nkoulou’s £25,000-a-week contract at Torino is due to expire in the summer.
And Bielsa feels that the former Monaco ace would add some much-needed strength and experience at the heart of a porous Leeds backline.
Only one Premier League team has conceded more goals than the Whites this season – West Bromwich Albion – while both Diego Llorente and Robin Koch have missed long spells through injury.
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