Marcelo Bielsa: I was close to becoming a Premier League manager

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has revealed Swansea City contacted him over becoming the Welsh club’s manager in December 2015.

Bielsa, 63, has made a flying start to his Leeds career, winning his first three Championship matches impressively with victories against promotion favourites Stoke City and Derby County followed by a win over Rotherham United.

The Argentinian had never managed in England before joining Leeds, but he has admitted he came close to becoming Swansea boss three years ago.

He claims to have been asked by the then-Premier League club to take over from Garry Monk, who was sacked just four months into the 2015/16 campaign.

But Swansea, who Leeds face in the Championship on Tuesday night, ended up appointing Francesco Guidolin instead.

“I was close to becoming Swansea boss three years ago,” Bielsa said, according to the Mirror. “It was a real possibility. I was willing to work in Swansea but, at the end, they chose somebody else.

“I don’t remember very well, but I think it was because I told them I wanted to start at the beginning of the season, not come in the middle of one.”

Bielsa was out of work at the time, having left Marseille after just one match of the 2015/16 Ligue 1 season.

The following summer he was appointed Lazio manager but lasted only two days before leaving. He later lasted seven months as Lille boss back in France. Leeds is his first job since then.

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