Marcelo Bielsa reveals Crysencio Summerville is one of 10 who asked to leave Leeds United

Marcelo Bielsa has revealed that Crysencio Summerville is one of 10 Leeds United players who expressed a desire to leave the club on loan.

Reports emerged in Germany during the January transfer window that the 20-year-old winger was a target for Hamburg SV, before Leeds were subsequently linked with Liverpool's Takumi Minamino.

The Whites, who had to knock back interest in star men Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, made it clear that Summerville would only depart if they could replace him but deadline day came and went without a departure from Elland Road or any senior signings.

Speaking to the media for the first time since the Whites' defeat by Newcastle United on January 22, Bielsa was asked for insight on Summerville's situation.

The Dutch Under 21 international has made five substitute appearances in the Premier League this season and made the bench on a further 11 occasions, but according to Bielsa he wanted to go out on loan.

"He spoke with me and told me that he wanted to leave," said the head coach.

"I told him that there weren’t any problems with him leaving. The reason why I said this to him is that as a player he has a pretty frequent participation in the first team, not necessarily coming on, but he is a player that was contemplated frequently and he asked to leave. For me that reason, that motive is sufficient.

"Any player that tells me that they want to leave, I would answer, ‘no problem, I’m not opposed to you leaving. What is the reason?’ That is because he wants to leave. I don’t analyse whether it’s fair or not, whether it corresponds or not. Simply not wanting to be here is sufficient."

Summerville's case appeared to mirror that of Cody Drameh, who was granted a loan move to Cardiff City and has since started each of their Championship games, but Bielsa was keen to point out that the winger remaining at Leeds was not something he had enforced. It wasn't clear if the others Bielsa went on to reference, the 10 who wanted to leave, were all still at the club or if he was including those already out on loan. Players like Alfie McCalmont, Ryan Edmondson, Mateusz Bogusz and Leif Davis are among those plying their trade elsewhere at present.

"The club has a different outlook on it, because the players sign contracts and they acquire obligations," he said.

"The obligations sum up to economic. I don’t have the power to decide contractual or economic problems.

"In the case of Summerville, there were 10 players in a similar situation and all of the subjects, I treated them in the same way, as it can’t be any other way.

"When a player signs a contract, he is saying that he wants to belong. And I think it’s absolutely legitimate that he doesn’t want to belong any more. It’s a possibility, it’s a right, and it’s right that it’s that way. I have a limit in the power of my decision.

"So all of the players that are within the club know that if they want to leave, I’m not going to stand in their way. But because I don’t stand in their way, it doesn’t mean that I decide. I only have part of the decision.

"The only thing I do know, is that if he didn’t leave, it wasn’t because I forced him or forced the club to keep him. I clearly said to him, ‘if you want to leave, then the best thing to do is for you to leave’, and I would say that to any player."

The Argentine was equally determined to make clear he had no problem with Summerville's position, or that of any of the 10 who had shown interest in loan moves elsewhere.

"Be very careful with how you interpret what I say, because it’s the most natural thing in the world," he said.

"A person wants to evolve - they consider that the place where they are won’t allow them to evolve like another place would.

"It happens in all labour situations, constantly and there's nothing wrong with it, nor the desire of someone not continuing. What sense is it for you to stay."

The public nature of the Summerville affair was evidently not to Bielsa's taste, but he felt compelled to answer when questioned about the youngster.

"Of course with all of this being made public, it's not good for anyone, not for Summerville, for me or for Leeds," he said.

"But you have to understand the footballing world to know who made it public and what are they looking for when they made this public?

"I'm not accusing anyone or demanding any behaviour that was wrong, it happens at every club constantly. As it's made public I have the responsibility to tell the truth. What I can't do is answer you who the other 10 are. The last thing I want is for this to be commented on."