Leeds United, once an esteemed English force, lost their relevance in the past decade and an administrative oversight converted the Whites into a mere mid-table Championship outfit. They witnessed a surprise uprise under Swansea City legend Garry Monk a couple of seasons back, but his decision to step down last year brought Leeds back to square one. Neither Thomas Christiansen nor Paul Heckingbottom succeeded to keep up the good work at Elland Road and the gamble of investing on several low-key resources did not work out at all.
The dejected supporters, meanwhile, are uplifted again following the appointment of iconic Marcelo Bielsa as their new manager. The 62-year-old Argentine is hailed as one of the pioneers of modern-day football and was successfully convinced by owner Andrea Radrizzani to take charge of the West Yorkshire outfit. El Loco, the former Argentina and Chile chief, is believed to guide them to a Premier League return, thus, drawing an end to their years of anguish and misery.
Bielsa has been promised a £20m warchest as he is set to reconfigure the squad adding quality options over quantity unlike last summer but should bank on loan deals as well in order to make them competent enough to contest week in week out in promotion battle.
His cordial relationship with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has fueled speculations of a few loan moves and Brahim Diaz, the Spanish youth international, is the latest name rumoured to make a switch to Elland Road for the upcoming season.
Diaz, the 18-year-old Spaniard, is rated highly at Etihad and Guardiola handed him enough appearances to win a Premier League medal in Manchester City’s record-breaking title triumph. But the star-studded Citizens do not have a scope of integrating their academy prodigy to earn enough first-team minutes and a loan move to Leeds, therefore, will help the teenager to flourish in English soil under charismatic Marcelo Bielsa.
At Elland Road, he will be groomed to stake a claim in Guardiola’s plan and justify his talent with proper game-time in one of football’s most competitive leagues in near future.
Leeds have veteran Pablo Hernandez and Samuel Saiz to operate as midfield attackers, but the duo struggled through lack of consistency last season and the inclusion of Diaz will hand the Whites a much-needed depth, versatility as well as quality in their attacking third. The inadequate senior experience might force him to take time to settle in, but the guidance of El Loco should be instrumental to his success at Elland Road.
