Speaking on The Square Ball Podcast, Angus Kinnear has given an optimistic view on Leeds United’s chances of keeping Marcelo Bielsa at the club beyond 2021.
The Argentine has famously only ever agreed to one-year contract extensions since arriving at Elland Road in 2018, and every summer, there is the question of whether or not he will stay at the club.
Leeds have managed to convince him so far, and Kinnear believes that he will be open to sticking around beyond 2021.
“We sat down in the summer and he very quickly agreed that he wanted to stay, and then he signed the contract about six months later,” Kinnear said about last summer’s negotiations.
“We got there in the end, I imagine the process will be the same, maybe he will indicate his intentions earlier, but for me, as long as we keep planning in the long-term, and the fact that it’s a year-to-year contract doesn’t impact the long-term planning, then actually, it’s then hopefully a straightforward situation.
“What I do know is he’s loving working with the team, he’s loving working with the U23s, he’s enjoying the fact that from a team perspective, to a man, and this is why the team deserves so much credit, because they’ve bought into his principles, they continue to work so hard for him.
“He loves the city and he loves the fanbase, and we’re giving him all the reasons that we could to stay, and I’m hopeful. Well, he gives nothing away, but that’s all we can hope for.”
Christmas seems to have come early for Leeds fans.
Bielsa staying at Leeds is probably one of the most important things for that club at this moment in time, so this update should fill everyone at Elland Road with confidence.
Of course, Bielsa is unpredictable, he once left Lazio after just two days in the job, so nothing here is guaranteed, but if Kinnear sounds this confident, there must be something to suggest that the Argentine is keen to stay on.
This will certainly be a boost to Leeds’ long-term plan of cementing themselves as a bona fide Premier League outfit.
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