'Too good for Leeds United' - Pundit makes baffling Marcelo Bielsa claim as contract wait goes on

TalkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara has argued that Marcelo Bielsa is too good for Leeds United – but believes that his “love affair” with the club will keep him at Elland Road.
Marcelo Bielsa, Manager of Leeds United. (Photo by Peter Powell - Pool/Getty Images)Marcelo Bielsa, Manager of Leeds United. (Photo by Peter Powell - Pool/Getty Images)
Marcelo Bielsa, Manager of Leeds United. (Photo by Peter Powell - Pool/Getty Images)

The popular Argentine prefers to operate on a rolling year-long contract, and is yet to put pen to paper on an extension that would keep him in Yorkshire beyond this summer.

The chances of Bielsa leaving Leeds in the coming weeks appear extremely slim, however, and it is not out of character for the 66-year-old to take a fairly relaxed approach to agreeing new deals.

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But while O’Hara has acknowledged that the Whites are a big club, the ex-Tottenham midfielder has suggested that the manager has got enough talent to go and manage any of Europe’s elite sides.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: “He needs to be at a big club Bielsa, doesn’t he?

"He needs to be at a club like Barcelona let’s be honest.”

Asked about the possibility of Bielsa managing his old side Tottenham one day, O’Hara said: “Spurs are a bigger club than Leeds… it would be a step up. Jose Mourinho’s not going to go and be Leeds manager, is he?

“I’m not saying Leeds aren’t a big club and I’m not saying Bielsa needs to leave, I’m saying he should be at a club like Barcelona. He’s a great manager and Leeds are very lucky to have him.

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“I’d love him at Spurs but he’s never going to leave Leeds to go to Spurs.”

Asked whether Bielsa is too good for Leeds, O’Hara added: “Of course he is! He’s a world-class manager.

“I think he has a sort of love affair with that club, the town and the fans. They all love him and I think he loves them.

“But if someone like Barcelona, Real Madrid or PSG come knocking, I’m sorry, you’re not staying at Leeds United you’re going.”

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In an interview with BBC Radio Leeds last month, the Whites’ managing director Angus Kinnear admitted that he is treating Bielsa’s contract extension as a “formality”.

He said: “As normal with Marcelo, putting pen to paper he sees as an irrelevance.

"It's really emotionally and psychologically where he is. He's certainly with Leeds United for the next season.

“We agreed the terms several weeks ago, several months ago.”