Ex-Leeds midfielder was ‘delighted’ to seal Elland Rd exit during Bielsa reign
Samuel Saiz has revealed that he was delighted to leave Leeds United on a permanent basis last year to join Spanish club Girona.
Saiz, 29, lit up Elland Road with some of his displays in the early part of his career in English football but dropped out of the reckoning during Marcelo Bielsa’s reign in charge.
Last season saw the Spaniard play 19 times in the Championship before he was sent out on loan to Getafe in the January transfer window.
Saiz struggled in La Liga with Getafe and scored one goal in 12 appearances across all competitions.
After his loan spell at Getafe ended, Leeds pushed forward with selling the attacking midfielder and recently-relegated Girona swooped in to sign him for around £2.5million, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Saiz has now revealed how happy he was to end his spell at Leeds and return to Spain on a permanent basis in the second tier.
“Three months before the end of the season, Girona was in the first division. They already wanted to sign me. Then the opportunity came again and I took it. They gave me a lot of facilities, they paid a transfer fee to Leeds and I was delighted. I am well here,” Saiz said via a live video on his personal Instagram account, as quoted by AS.
Saiz has had mixed fortunes since joining Girona.
He has made 22 appearances across all competitions but has only started nine matches in the Spanish Segunda Division.
Girona have been going well in the league and sat fifth before the coronavirus pandemic brought football to a halt across Europe.
Saiz will no doubt be hoping he can play his way back into the side once football resumes.
In other Leeds United news, Jermaine Beckford has blasted a “scandalous” plan that would derail the Whites’ promotion push.