David Woods

Thu 6 August 2020 7:05, UK

Marcelo Bielsa’s contract is up which means he’s not officially the Leeds United manager anymore.

There’s no reason to panic yet – talks between him and Leeds are progressing well and both sides are confident.

And, in an article on The Athletic on Thursday, Phil Hay has said: “Sources close to Bielsa are confident that a deal will be announced before his players resume training at Thorp Arch on Wednesday.”

However, Hay also said: “He will not sign until the terms of his contract are crystal clear.”

For Leeds fans, this clarity is needed as soon as possible – the 20/21 Premier League starts on September 12, just over five weeks away.

Writing in an interview with Leeds sporting director Victor Orta on The Athletic, Hay said, “The 12-month extension Bielsa signed last summer is up and Leeds are in the process of trying to renew it.

“Neither side of the negotiation expects the discussions to fail but there is no such thing as a quick resolution with Bielsa.

“As Leeds found when they first appointed him (and almost missed the deadline to apply for his work permit), he won’t be rushed. He will not sign until the terms of his contract are crystal clear. And very rarely do his expectations revolve around money.

“Leeds are more than two weeks on from promotion now and just over five weeks away from the new season, but Orta is optimistic.

“’We’re having very positive talks with Marcelo daily,’ he says. ‘We’re hoping that we’re going to be working towards the Premier League season (with him) because we’re planning a really good project there.’ Sources close to Bielsa are equally confident that a deal will be announced before his players resume training at Thorp Arch on Wednesday.”

This is all part of the process. The same happened when Bielsa first signed for Leeds and the same happened at the end of last season.

This season has been particularly gruelling. Andrea Radrizzani admitted that Bielsa needed to recover following a campaign that lasted almost a year.

If the Leeds fans feel the pressure, that must be nothing compared to Bielsa who wouldn’t allow himself to enjoy the run-in until promotion and the title were secured.

The Premier League will ramp the pressure up again. More media responsibilities. More spotlight. These are things that Bielsa won’t be looking forward to and, knowing him, he’ll want even more for everything to be perfect before he commits.

Luckily, Orta and Radrizzani know how important he is to the club and Bielsa won’t be asking for anything they can’t provide.

We think it’s just a matter of time and it sounds like Leeds fans will be put out of their misery in the next week.

In other Leeds United news, Reliable journalist delivers Leeds update on reported move for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard