Former England striker Darren Bent has sensationally claimed that Manchester City are among a list of top clubs looking to tempt Marcelo Bielsa away from Leeds United.
A Championship-winning season in 2019/20 saw the Yorkshire side gain promotion to the Premier League and further enhance Bielsa’s reputation.
They have enjoyed a strong start back in the top flight, going unbeaten in three games after a narrow opening day defeat to champions Liverpool. After holding Pep Guardiola’s Man City to a 1-1 draw last time out in the Premier League, Bielsa could now reportedly become a target for the Citizens should they require a change.
What has Darren Bent said about Man City and Marcelo Bielsa?
Speaking about the impact made by Bielsa at Elland Road, Bent told Football Insider: “With Bielsa, it’s an interesting season for Leeds.
“Depending on what happens with Pep at Manchester City and a few other top jobs, I think Bielsa who has only signed a one-year deal, a lot of teams at the end of the season not even depending on how Leeds do, they may look at Bielsa and go ‘you know what, this guy with the quality of player that we’ve got he could take us to another level as well.’”
Prior to his arrival in Yorkshire, Bielsa worked at no fewer than 10 clubs whilst also spending time in charge of the Chile and Argentina national teams (as per Transfermarkt).
The ideal candidate to replace Guardiola at Man City
The relationship between Guardiola and Bielsa has been no secret over the past few years, with the latter receiving high praise from the former Barcelona player and manager.
Guardiola is continuing in charge this season at City but the Spaniard is known for spending short periods at the clubs he manages before moving on to a new project. His stint at the Etihad Stadium is already the longest of his managerial career to date.
Bielsa’s project at Leeds is currently thriving and you have to feel that it would be hard for the Whites to continue in the same vein if he was to depart. Indeed, for a lot of Premier League or Champions League clubs, the current Whites boss could be a desirable target when a managerial vacancy arises.
Do you think Bielsa will remain in charge of Leeds for the foreseeable future? Let us know your views in the comments section below…
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