Marcelo Bielsa close to agreeing new two-year Leeds contract
By Max Cooper
Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa is 'very close' to putting pen to paper on a new two-year contract that would keep him at Elland Road until the summer of 2023.
The 65-year-old is enjoying his third season with the English giants and has adapted brilliantly to life in the Premier League. But with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season, concerns linger over whether he will stick around for another campaign.
But Argentinian outlet La Nacion has revealed that those concerns are unfounded, and Bielsa is 'very close' to agreeing a two-year deal with Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani. It would be the first time in the Argentine's spell with the Whites that he has penned longer than a one-year contract.
His most recent deal, which he signed on the eve of his Premier League debut, made him one of the six highest paid managers in the English top flight. Bielsa prefers to take his time when deciding upon his future and recently reassured Leeds fans that his choice to delay negotiations is not a sign that he is uncommitted to the club.
"The first thing I want to highlight, because what it seems like is that the president is offering me an extension and I am delaying it," Bielsa explained back in February.
"It could be interpreted as the club having more of a desire for me to stay than I do and that's not the case.
"In no way do I want to position myself above the club. I reiterate, I am not going to manage any other options until my job here at Leeds is done. There is no speculation from my part," Sky Sports cited.
Despite these words of encouragement, the Leeds board is desperate to get the contract sorted and signed as soon as possible.
Bielsa does not want his future to overshadow the team's performances, which have been extremely impressive this season. Their campaign was crowned by a superb 2-1 victory over Manchester City on Saturday, with the newly-promoted side playing the majority of the match with only ten men.
Supporters revere Bielsa as a God-like figure in Yorkshire and they will know he is the main protagonist behind their eventual escape from the Championship last year. Keeping the Argentine will be their main priority, and it looks to be falling into place.