Pontus Jansson’s exit from Leeds United came out of nowhere, and his move to Brentford was wrapped up in a jiffy. It was clear that Bielsa and the Swedish centre back didn’t share the best of relationships and the centre back had to make way.
However, there is no doubting that Jansson was a crucial player for the Whites and replacing him should be on the agenda of the club in this transfer window. The club brought in Ben White from Brighton on loan, but he is vastly inexperienced. Relying on him and just two other senior centre-halves to move up a division could backfire. Therefore here are three players the Whites can sign on loan from Premier League clubs.
Ciaran Clark
The 29-year-old Irish defender has been surplus to requirement at Newcastle as he started just nine games in the Premier League last season. The 32 time Ireland international has plenty of experience of the Premier League, and the Whites should consider getting him on loan. Clark is also a capable player with the ball at his feet.
Thus, he should fit into Bielsa’s style well. The Magpies have a decent amount of options in defence so we think that the club might sanction this move if the Yorkshire outfit makes an approach.
Filip Benkovic
The Croatian centre half would probably be the dream signing for the Whites. The 21-year old seems to have all the attributes necessary to thrive in the Bielsa system. He also stands in at 6ft4 and is understandably good in the air. The defender had a loan spell at Celtic last season and looked a class apart for them.
However, a move for the Croatian might hinge on whether Harry Maguire stays put at the King Power Stadium or not. Nevertheless, Leeds United should be queuing up for this hugely talented defender who got compared to Van Dijk by Celtic fans due to his nonchalance playing style.
Ben Gibson
The Whites have already been linked with the Burnley defender but face some real competition from the newly-promoted Premier League clubs for Gibson’s signature. The 26-year-old is a proven entity at the Championship level, and he will get the job done for the Whites more often than not.
He might not be great in terms of playing out from the back, but a defender’s first job should be to defend. And that is something which Gibson is very capable of under all circumstances. Burnley signed him last year for £15m, so he is unlikely to come in for cheap. Therefore United should consider getting him on a season-long loan.
