Leeds United will struggle to convince Mateusz Klich to stay in January amid DC United interest - Phil Hay
Leeds United will struggle to convince Mateusz Klich to stay at Elland Road in January amid interest from DC United, according to Phil Hay.
The Polish international has been heavily linked with a move to the MLS this winter, with Wayne Rooney's side in "advanced talks" to sign him after a lack of first-team football this season.
And according to Hay, writing in The Athletic (14 December), Klich wanted to leave in the summer but was made promises by Jesse Marsch that now can't be repeated as they never rang true.
"Reports from the United States over the weekend that Wayne Rooney-managed DC United are interested in signing him next month ahead of the 2023 MLS season are accurate and Klich is understood to be open to a move to the American capital," he wrote.
"It is a switch to a new country and a new league with the offer of a good contract.
"But having already sold him more action than he is getting, they will struggle to sway him with the same vision again.
"Marsch hugging him at the end of the Elche friendly looked a little like goodbye."
Crazy
It's quite mad that Marsch promised Klich more game time this season in the summer, and so far he's been rewarded with just 188 minutes in the Premier League with zero starts (via WhoScored).
This is a team that has struggled so far in midfield, with Tyler Adams and Marc Roca starting the vast majority of games and their only other options being Sam Greenwood and youngster Darko Gyabi or veteran Adam Forshaw.
But you'll be hard-pressed to find any Leeds fans who don't think Klich could do a better job than those back up options, however he deserves far more than being restricted to that.
An exit now seems inevitable, despite some reports that there are issues remaining to get a deal done, but Leeds are clearly not giving up the attempts to keep him.
It'll be tough but if we can get him to hang around until the summer that would be ideal, but it seems broken promises will bring an end to this fan favourite's time at Elland Road.
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