Marcelo Bielsa says 10 players wanted to leave Leeds United in January
Leeds United had 10 players wanting to leave in January, manager Marcelo Bielsa has said when discussing Crysencio Summerville’s situation.
In his first press conference for two weeks, the Argentinian addressed the January transfer window and confirmed that the Dutch winger was one who wished to follow Cody Drameh in leaving on loan.
Graham Smyth in the Yorkshire Evening Post points out that Alfie McCalmont, Ryan Edmondson, Mateusz Bogusz and Lief Davis are already out on loan and it is unclear if the 10 that the manager referred to includes them.
Phil Hay in The Athletic has previously reported that late interest in Takumi Minamino and Kenedy was only as cover for the potential departure of Summerville who had been attracting interest from Holland and Germany, but that Bielsa wanted to keep him.
In making plain that he had not prevented the winger from leaving Bielsa revealed how many others were in a similar position, saying (via YEP): “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 anymore.”
However, he refused to name the other players, saying: “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.”
Confusing situation
Quite how the manager of a Premier League football team expects to mention that 10 players want to leave the club and it not be commented on is anyone’s guess.
But Bielsa is a unique manager so maybe in his world, it is somehow possible.
His openness in revealing that fact is counterbalanced with his unwillingness to go any further, which just invites the speculation he says he doesn’t want.
It is similar to his assertion that he apparently has no issue with players leaving if they want to, which seems agreeably open.
But that begs the question, why did Summerville not move?
He asked to leave, the manager said “no problem” and Hamburg were thought to be very interested in taking him until Fabrizio Romano reported that the move had collapsed.
If the club went to the trouble of sounding out Premier League rivals for possible replacements it seems strange that none of the interest resulted in a move.
Why Summerville and other young players have not featured more during an injury crisis has been confusing, and with this news, it becomes equally confusing that more did not leave.
The manager’s first appearance for a couple of weeks has left more questions than answers.
In other Leeds United news, two key players are reportedly in the “final stages” of recovery from injury.