Leeds will be glad they didn’t sign Dimitri Payet, he doesn’t fit with the Bielsa way – TBR View

Leeds United made a flying start to their Premier League campaign at the weekend, despite coming out on the wrong side of a 4-3 result at Liverpool.

The Whites put the champions well and truly under pressure at Anfield and were unlucky not to come away with anything to show for their efforts.

Leeds have backed Marcelo Bielsa this summer in the market. The likes of Rodrigo and Robin Kock have arrived, while the club continues to scour the European market for more additions to the squad.

One man who won’t be signing but apparently was courted by Bielsa is former West Ham midfielder, Dimitri Payet. The Frenchman is well-remembered for some stunning goals in England and is now playing his football back in France with Marseille.

But is this one Leeds might have got away with and would Payet have offered much to the cause?

A luxury and quality player but Bielsa demands so much more

We saw on Friday just how Leeds play and that is on the front foot, pressing, and working harder than the opposition.

Without being offensive to Payet – who is a wonderfully gifted player – he isn’t the type of player who can go sprinting around the field for 90 minutes like a Jack Harrison or a Helder Costa. Both of those players were superb at Liverpool in wide areas and set the tone throughout.

Payet would have brought quality to Elland Road, there is no doubt on that front. But he is more of a luxury player. Payet likes to create, he likes to score the spectacular. This is all well and good but in a team like Leeds, in their system, it could be detrimental to the cause.

So, while the Whites would have no doubt seen the odd bit of brilliant from Payet, at 33, you get the impression that when supporters look back at the end of the season, this won’t be a missed opportunity they are left ruing.

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