OPINION
When rumours first broke that revered former Lille manager Marcelo Bielsa was in line for the Leeds United job, fans would have been laughing off the suggestion.
It seemed like another unfounded whisper that so often accompanies the summer in pre-season, and considering the Argentine’s record and reputation, it seemed hugely unlikely that he would be willing to step into England’s second tier.
Fast forward to present day, and what seemed like a pipe dream for the Elland Road faithful has become reality, in what will no doubt go down as one of the most ambitious moves in the club’s history.
Owner Andrea Radrizzani will be hoping that the abilities Bielsa possesses will be enough to bring some success back to the Whites in the shape of promotion back to the Premier League – and the cost seems to have been a great one.
The Daily Star claim that in order to take the Argentinian boss to the club, the Italian owner is forking out a stunning wage of £6million-a-year, or around £115,000-a-week, for his services, penning a two-year deal which is said to be over double what any other Championship manager is earning.
After the financial woes suffered in the past, Radrizzani is seemingly throwing everything he can to get the club back to the top tier of English football, and it remains to be seen whether splashing the cash on Bielsa will give him the rewards he so desires.
If this experiment fails, and the Argentine manager is not the success that he is hoped to be, then the Italian could well rein in his spending and tighten the purse strings.
For now though, fans will now be demanding that the same heavy spending approach is shown in the transfer market – but has the owner blown his budget on the manager? Only time will tell.