Klich close to DC United transfer, reports indicate -Leeds Press 12/12/22
By Lucas Wilson
Leeds United midfield stalwart Mateusz Klich is nearing a
transfer to MLS side DC United, reports from America indicate.
Klich’s arrival at the American club would bolster a
struggling side who finished bottom of the Eastern Conference last season.
Despite not being named in Czeslaw Michniewicz’s Poland side
for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar the 32-year-old has a wealth of experience in
both domestic and international competition, having made 41 appearances for his
country in a lengthy footballing career.
He has also played in Poland for MKS Cracovia, Germany with
VfL Wolfsburg II and FC Kaiserslautern, and the Netherlands with PEC Zwolle, FC
Twente and FC Utrecht.
Since returning to Yorkshire after a year-long loan at
Utrecht during the 2017/18 season, Klich became a permanent fixture of the
Whites side which eventually won promotion from the Championship under previous
coach Marcelo Bielsa, having made 170 appearances for Leeds in the five seasons
since.
Links to DC United emerged from American outlet MLS Soccer,
which claimed that they were in “advanced talks” to sign the Polish
international.
“D.C. United are in advanced talks to sign Poland
international central midfielder Mateusz Klich from Leeds United,” they said.
“The deal isn’t 100% done but has reached advanced stages.
Klich wouldn’t be a Designated Player if the deal gets over
the line.”
Current DC United boss Wayne Rooney will be hoping that
Klich can become the latest addition to players he has recently signed from
English clubs, alongside Christian Benteke and Ravel Morrison.
With only 188 Premier League minutes to his name so far this
season, and rumours of discontent at his minimised position in the squad being
expressed by Klich himself, the overriding feeling is that his time in
Yorkshire is coming to a close.
Make no mistake, there is no Leeds fan who wants to see the
Polish international leave, but time does catch up with us all eventually.
Despite the fact he has scored 3 goals this term the fact
remains that they were either in a cup or – most recently – in a friendly
against lower-calibre opposition.
Whether Klich decides to leave in January or not, he will
always be fondly remembered as an iconic component of Bielsa’s
promotion-winning side, just as much for his antics off the pitch than on it.
The images of Klich conducting the celebrations in the empty
stands of Pride Park and his drunken shenanigans after Leeds sealed promotion
to England’s top-flight are ones which live long in the memory, and always
will.