Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is happy with his defensive options, even though the club only has two senior centre-backs, according to Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Phil Hay.
The reliable journalist has claimed on his personal Twitter account that Bielsa is looking to add a new left-back to his squad, however he does not appear to be interested in signing more centre-backs.
I’d like to ask him that although it does sound like he’s pretty happy with his defensive resources (while wanting a left-back). They’re trying to sign a centre forward though.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) July 24, 2018
Leeds have only signed Lewis Baker and Jamal Blackman on loan this summer and are yet to strengthen their defence, despite sending Lewie Coyle, Tyler Denton, Paudie O’Connor and Liam Kitching out on temporary deals.
Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper are the only senior centre-backs at Elland Road now, and Bielsa appears to have taken the shock decision to just rely on them two.
OPINION
Leeds really need to get a move on this summer because they are going to end up resorting for panic-buys soon enough. However one area that they don’t seem like they will be making additions to is at centre-back, which is extremely odd. Bielsa likes to play midfielders in defence, and that has served him well in Spain, France and South America, but what about the typical cold Tuesday night at Stoke? The Championship could completely shock Bielsa, or it could be a complete masterstroke for him to play this system in England’s second-tier. The fact that no one can accurately predict how Leeds’ season is going to go is probably one of the best stories in the Championship for the upcoming campaign, but he really should sign at least one more centre-back, if anything to cover injury and inevitable suspensions with both Cooper and Jansson having a bit of a record that those kind of absences.