Leeds United Close To Agreeing New Contract With Bielsa

Bielsa’s current contract with the Whites is due to expire at the end of the month but talks have been ongoing for a while.

The 65-year-old Argentine joined the Elland Road outfit in the summer of 2018 when they were in the second tier and fell just short of gaining promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking, losing to Derby County in the championship play-off semi-finals.

Bielsa took the Yorkshire club one step better in the 2019/2020 season as he masterminded their return to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years.

Leeds finished ninth in the top flight last season.

“We’re all really confident. As I think you know, Marcelo decided not to return back to Argentina this summer,” Kinnear told BBC Radio Leeds.

“Some of his coaching staff have, but he wanted to stay at Elland Road, he wanted to prepare, he wanted to work with Victor [Orta] and I on the transfer window and oversee the training ground works that are taking place.

“So, I have no doubts as to his commitment and as normal with Marcelo, putting pen to paper he sees as an irrelevance.

“It’s really emotionally and psychologically where he is and he’s certainly very much with Leeds United for the next season.”

“We agreed the terms several weeks ago, several months ago perhaps, and really the measure we use within the club is if he’s engaged and if he’s working on next season.”

“He is being incredibly diligent. I’m not sure there’s any other manager in the Premier League who’s taking no time off and not leaving the training ground.

“That shows his commitment so I’m treating the contract as a formality.”