OPINION
Marcelo Bielsa might be planning to use Jay-Roy Grot as his secret weapon next season after it was reported that the 21-year-old could be kept on by Leeds United this summer.
Grot was widely-criticised for his performances in his debut season at Elland Road in 2017/18 when he made 22 appearances in all competitions, but managed to score just one goal.
However he was loaned out by Bielsa and director of football Victor Orta last summer and did quite well during a temporary stint with VVV Venlo in the Dutch Eredivise.
Grot scored six goals and supplied three assists in 34 total outings for Venlo as he played mainly on the wings, but also featured in his preferred centre-forward role.
The Dutch colossus, who is 6ft 4in tall according to transfermarkt, ended the season well by scoring three goals and assisting two more in his last five Eredivise appearances for Venlo, so it seems that he has done enough to impress his parent club Leeds going into this summer.
Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay reported via his personal Twitter account on Monday that while it remains to be seen what will happen to Grot ahead of next season, the Netherlands Under-21 international is not someone who the Whites are actively trying to sell
Grot is one I haven't heard mentioned on the exit list. Interested to see what they do with him.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) June 3, 2019
That could mean that Grot will feature in Bielsa’s plans next season – and that would be a great idea.
Leeds really lacked a cutting edge from the centre-forward position at times this season in Kemar Roofe and Patrick Bamford, they don’t really have someone who can dominate in the air and hold up the ball to bring the attacking midfielders into play.
Grot is a brute of a forward who offers something completely different to Roofe and Bamford.
According to stats by WhoScored, Grot only averaged 2.5 aerial duels per appearance in the Dutch top-flight, but he won 1.4 of them. Roofe was involved in more aerial duels [3.6] but only won 0.9 of them. Bamford only won 1.1 per match out of his average of 3.3.
It is pretty clear where Grot excels in comparison to the strikers who Bielsa called upon most this season, but the Dutchman also completed more tackles per match, made more interceptions per match, made less fouls per match and completed more dribbles per match.
Grot not only stands out when it comes to the aerial side of the game, but he also clearly has the all-round play that Bielsa desires in his players.
The 21-year-old has been seen as an outcast in the last year or so, but there is a good chance that Bielsa has seen what he has offered in the Netherlands and is willing to utilise him next season in a new bid to take the Yorskshire giants back to the Premier League.