Promotion winning former Leeds United midfielder "in talks" to make return to club where career began

Former Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich is reportedly in talks over a return to his native Poland as he explores a move to Cracovia, the club where his senior career began.

The 34-year-old from Tarnow progressed through the youth academy at the Ekstraklasa club and made his senior debut in 2008. He would go on to play 58 times for the Polish outfit, scoring five goals and providing 12 assists. He departed in 2011 to sign for Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, with Cracovia earning €1.5million from the transfer to make Klich the most expensive sale in the club’s history.

After spells with PEC Zwolle, 1. FC Kaiserslautern and FC Twente Klich would join Leeds in 2017 on an initial three-year deal. He spent part of his first season out on loan at FC Utrecht but quickly became an important player for the Whites upon the arrival of the now revered Marcelo Bielsa. In total, he made 195 appearances for the Whites, scoring 24 goals and providing 21 assists. He was part of the side that won the Championship title in 2020 and played a key role in the club’s ninth-placed finish in the Premier League.

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He left Elland Road for D.C. United in January 2023 after being outcast by Jesse Marsch. Speaking about his departure, Klich said earlier this year: “I’m a smart player, I knew it was coming. I had a conversation with Jesse and he said I would be playing less. I agreed but I didn’t want to leave Leeds, so I stayed and agreed to that role. That was all good. But (then) I had the opportunity to move on and play more, so I took it. That’s football, and it’s pretty simple in the end. You’re getting older, younger players come in, new managers come in and bring their own players. It’ll probably happen to me here, too. Eventually, I’ll have to move.”

He added: “The only thing I regret - that we got promoted during Covid, and there were no fans in the stadium or a parade in the city. They waited 16 years for that and we couldn’t properly celebrate with the fans. I was hoping last season that the boys could go up and we could have a double parade to celebrate, but they have another chance now.”

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D.C. United do have the option to extend Klich’s deal for another MLS season, with the 2025 edition of the competition getting underway on February 22. However, repots from Polish football outlet Meczyki have claimed that talks are underway between Klich and Cracovia, with a view to complete a move in the January window. Meczyki reporter Tomasz Kupisz added: “Mateusz mentioned to me in the messages that he wants to come back to Cracovia. For him it's a nice incentive that he'll be able to play for something more with Cracovia.”