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Marcelo Bielsa blames Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah for premature end of Leeds loan
Eddie Nketiah's loan at Elland Road was cut short.
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Marcelo Bielsa has blamed Eddie Nketiah for the premature cancelation of his loan spell at Leeds, insisting the Arsenal youngster underestimated the club. The England Under-21 international joined the Whites on a season-long loan last summer.
Arsenal, however, decided to recall the youngster in January due to a lack of game time at Elland Road.
Nketiah, who joined the Yorkshire club with expectation of regular first-team football, found himself playing second fiddle to former Chelsea hitman Patrick Bamford.
Bielsa believes that expectation was unrealistic, saying: “Nketiah arrived here because Leeds was the ideal place to grow - because it was me who was going to coach him.
“I know who I am and I don’t believe those messages.
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Everything around the transfer of Eddie was a lie, Nketiah came to play. In any way. He didn’t play and he left.
“Everything around the transfer of Eddie was a lie, Nketiah came to play. In any way. He didn’t play and he left.
“But even worse, because I, in two situations, I put Bamford on the bench and in two months he was with us, he wasn’t able to play.
“Players do preseason. One player in six months plays two matches, thinks he will arrive to one club and play is underestimating what Leeds is as a club, a team and an institution.”
Despite being critical of Nketiah’s expectations of what his time with Leeds would entail, Bielsa bears no ill will towards the 20-year-old - who he believes will become a top striker.
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“I think that Nketiah is going to be one of the best English players,” the Argentine said. ““He was a starter twice, moving one player like Bamford, a great player and a day later he decides to leave the club.
“Again, the agreement we did with Arsenal, because players don’t go to another club just to play.
“They go to try to compete with another teammate to play.
“Because if you are going to be a player of a top-level club and you cannot deserve one place in one team that is supposed to have a player of less level, so you have to find a club that tells you you don’t have to play whatever happens.
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“The manager who says this lies to him. I’m talking about Nketiah; great player, great pro, great human.”
Arsenal will be back in action a week on Sunday, welcoming relegation battlers Newcastle to the Emirates.
Leeds, meanwhile, will travel to the City Ground on Saturday afternoon to take on Nottingham Forest.