Reports update on Marcelo Bielsa's Bournemouth talks as ex-Leeds United coach gets new job

The Telegraph have reported that talks have ‘stalled’ between the Argentine and the Cherries, with interim Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil close to being appointed on a permanent basis. Bielsa has been out of work since his February sacking by Leeds despite links to a number of vacancies at club and international level.

One of the staff members who played a pivotal role in Bielsa’s Thorp Arch regime, however, is set for a return to work in his native France. Benoit Delaval, who was fitness coach at Leeds during Bielsa’s tenure as head coach, is said to be the new performance director at RC Lens. According to French outlet L’Equipe, Delaval will replace Laurent Bessière, who is to follow sporting director Florent Ghisolfi from Lens to Nice.

Delaval’s job at Leeds was to help players develop the necessary physical condition to be able to cope with the relentless style and demands of Bielsaball. The fitness levels of Bielsa’s players were often noted by opposition managers prior to promotion from the Championship, and remained a running theme in the commentary around the Whites when they landed in the English top flight.

Unlike Bielsa’s other generals, Delaval has spoken publicly about their time at Leeds since the mass staff departure in February. Speaking to The Athletic earlier this year, the fitness coach admitted the sudden nature of his and Bielsa’s sacking hit him hard.

He also revealed that hitting fitness levels that surpassed all others was a key part of Bielsa’s strategy even after joining the elite of the Premier League: “The idea was to be as fit as possible — and fitter than our opponents. We wanted to be a proactive team. The idea was to impose our football on the opponents, rather than the other way round. We worked a lot. If we weren’t able to make a difference from a technical or tactical point of view, we knew there might be a moment when our physical qualities could help us win a game. We had a demanding style. And it was important for us to be the fittest team in the league.”