One year after loan exit Mateusz Klich has become a key Leeds United player

Add as preferred source on Google

One year ago today Leeds United told Mateusz Klich to go and play elsewhere. Signed from FC Twente in the summer of 2017, for a fee reported to be in the region of £1.5 million by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Polish midfielder had struggled to cement a first-team place under the management of Thomas Christiansen.

He had started just twice in the league and returned to Holland to play out the remainder of the season at FC Utrecht. You could have forgiven many a Leeds fans for thinking that was the last they would see of Klich.

However, luckily for the Pole and for Leeds, they appointed Marcelo Bielsa in the summer. The Argentine studied Klich’s performances for Utrecht, where he was in fine form, and decided he deserved another shot at Elland Road.

He has since become one of Bielsa’s key men in Leeds’ brilliant season so far. Only one outfield player has played more minutes for Leeds in the Championship this season, Ezgjan Alioski playing for six minutes more than the imperious Klich.

He has five goals and six assists in that time as well, an excellent return for a central midfielder.

Along with Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips he signifies just how much personal improvement Bielsa has had on the individual players at Elland Road.

Who knows why Christiansen could not get the best out of Klich. More to the point, not many Leeds fans will now care. As long as Klich continues to shine they will just be pleased this loan deal never became permanent.