Leeds United transfer news: Big claim on Bielsa future, Wilder predicts Sheffield United exit

The Argentine boss has brought top flight football back to Elland Road after a lengthy absence, and despite Sunday’s heavy defeat at the hands of Arsenal, the Whites’ strong position in the Premier League would suggest that his side have risen to the challenge this term.

For the vast majority of supporters, one of the main priorities that Leeds face in the immediate future is ensuring that El Loco pens a fresh deal in Yorkshire.

The 65-year-old takes his contracts on a year-by-year basis, meaning that there is the potential for him to walk away from Elland Road at the end of the season.

But speaking to Football Insider, football finance expert Kieran Maguire expressed his belief that the South American will be staying put.

He said: “Bielsa is unique. He ploughs his own furrow, he operates in his own way. We are living in Bielsa’s world and not the other way around.

“I don’t think there’s any concern from Leeds’ point of view because he is a man who works on the basis of a handshake and if he’s happy, the contract gets signed.

“Would bigger clubs be interested? I don’t know because he is unique in the way he operates and he’s got a fantastic relationship with the board and a fantastic relationship with the fans.

“I don’t see a problem. Radrizzani wants him to stay, the fans want him to stay, the players want him to stay, and he seems settled.

“If he was 25 years younger, I might be a bit of twitchy because he might be wanting to move on to somewhere else in terms of his ambitions.”

Bielsa himself has made positive noises about his future at Elland Road in recent days.

Speaking in a press conference last week, the manager suggested that he would go into contract negotiations with “open arms”.

The Argentine’s tenure at Leeds has already been unusually long by his own standards.

According to Transfermarkt, the Bielsa spends an average of 1.63 years with a side before moving on. Should he still be at Leeds come July, he will have been at the club for three years.

Elsewhere, Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has made a frank admission over the future of his Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge.

The 23-year-old joined the Blades from KRC Genk last January, but the Bramall Lane boss has suggested that it might not be long before he starts looking for a bigger challenge.

Speaking to Norwegian station TV2, he said: “I think this [Sheffield United] has always been a springboard for Sander.

"He wants to play at the highest level, he wants to play Champions League regularly and he wants to play for a top team.

“We gave him an opportunity to show off his skills and he has taken it. If he plays well, he makes us a better team, but I know that day will come.

“I understand, if he goes and if it happens, then it happens with our blessing."The Sun previously reported that Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool have all kept tabs on the player in the past.

We’ve gathered the rest of this lunchtime’s Premier League gossip below: