Leeds need to brutally sell £23.4m problem who Bielsa said was “special”

Ahead of the 2019/20 season, Leeds United were entering their 16th year away from the Premier League – even dropping into League One since their last spell in the top flight.

It was their second campaign under Marcelo Bielsa after missing out on promotion after a play-off semi-final defeat against Derby County the year prior.

His relentless system captured the hearts of the Whites supporters, handing them the belief that they could finally end their generational wait for top-division football at Elland Road.

The Argentine would get the job done, securing the title in the Coronavirus-affected year, which saw no fans being able to witness their success at the stadium given the restrictions.

However, the promotion allowed for an influx of new additions to arrive in Yorkshire, numerous of whom made a huge impact on the first team after their respective moves.

Bielsa’s best transfers as Leeds boss

Winger Raphinha joined the club in a £17m deal from French side Stade Rennais, adding serious quality to the Whites’ forward line ahead of their return to the Premier League.

The Brazilian would make an immediate impact at Elland Road, scoring six times and registering nine assists during his debut campaign in England – looking worth every penny of his transfer fee.

The 27-year-old scored 11 times the following year, leading to a £55m transfer to LaLiga side Barcelona – banking a huge profit in the process but undoubtedly taking away their biggest attacking threat.

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier arrived permanently during the same window as the forward, providing the consistent presence between the sticks that was often lacking during the period under Bielsa in the Championship.

The Frenchman joined in a £5m deal, a bargain given the fact he’s since gone on to register just shy of 200 appearances for Leeds, keeping 11 clean sheets in his 20 league outings in 2024/25.

However, time may be running out for one player who also played his best football during Bielsa’s time period as manager.

The Bielsa signing who Leeds need to sell

Striker Patrick Bamford arrived during Bielsa’s first window as manager during the summer of 2018, costing £7m from Middlesbrough with the hope of providing the goals to catapult the club out of the second tier.

He notched over double figures in each of his first two years in Yorkshire, helping secure promotion, but it was his debut year in the top flight for the Whites which has been the highlight of his time at Elland Road.

The Englishman scored 17 times in 38 league matches, finishing as the division’s fourth top scorer, leading to then-boss Bielsa dubbing the talisman as “special”.

However, he’s since declined rapidly over the last few years, scoring just 17 times over the last four years, making just eight appearances during the current campaign.

Injuries have hampered him massively, featuring for a total of 77 minutes in the Championship, all whilst pocketing £70k-per-week, the most of any player within the current squad.

During his six years in Yorkshire, he’s taken home a staggering £16.4m which, when coupled with his transfer fee, has seen him cost a whopping £23.4m in total.

Given his huge earnings and lack of impact in recent years, manager Daniel Farke must look to sell the fan-favourite in January, cutting costs but also potentially reinvesting the money into another talisman.

The club will be hoping to end their two-year absence from the Premier League, with a new striker handing them the added ammunition needed to secure their return.

If they are to do that, Bamford may need to make way, giving him the opportunity to play elsewhere and recapture his goalscoring touch away from Elland Road.