Leeds United endured a dismal 2022/23 campaign as they were relegated from the Premier League after three seasons at the top level.
The Whites were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 and enjoyed two seasons of survival before eventually going down under a combination of Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce.
They are now back in the Championship and are looking to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking, with German head coach Daniel Farke at the helm.
Leeds brought the former Norwich City and Borussia Monchengladbach boss in to bolster their chances of promotion and he has enjoyed a strong start to life in Yorkshire, with five wins and two defeats in 11 league outings.
A drop down to the second tier has afforded a number of players the opportunity to regain form and confidence at a lower level and one ace who could have benefitted from that was central midfielder Mateusz Klich, who left the club in January.
The Poland international moved on at the start of the year and former Whites boss Marsch seemingly had a mare with his decision to part ways with the talented gem, as he has more goals and assists than some of the club’s current attackers – like Crysencio Summerville – this year.
How much did Leeds sell Klich for?
Leeds did not receive a single penny in return for Klich as they opted to release him from his contract, despite having 18 months left to run on his deal at the time.
Marsch stated that it was a mutual decision as the club allowed the central midfielder to move on from the then-Premier League side for £0 after he had made 14 top-flight appearances during the first half of the campaign.
The veteran maestro was then able to complete a transfer to D.C. United, who were managed by Wayne Rooney at the time of the move, on a free transfer in January.
How many goals did Klich score for Leeds?
He racked up 24 goals in 195 appearances for the Whites in all competitions during his time in England, which began after a switch from FC Twente ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.
The 33-year-old dynamo spent time on loan with FC Utrecht in his first season with Leeds before making his breakthrough as a regular under Bielsa the following term.
Klich exploded onto the scene with a phenomenal 2018/19 campaign as the club fell just shy of the play-off final. He contributed with ten goals and eight assists in 46 Championship starts from a midfield position.
The Polish whiz only missed two ‘big chances’ and created nine of them for his teammates, which shows that he was ruthless in front of goal and had the quality to provide his fellow attackers with excellent opportunities at the top end of the pitch.
He followed that up with six goals and five assists in 45 league starts throughout the 2019/20 season as Bielsa led the side to a Championship title and promotion to the Premier League. Klich only recorded five assists in spite of ending the campaign with ten ‘big chances’ created, which suggests that his teammates let him down in the final third.
The former Twente ace was then able to make the step up to the top-flight as he chipped in with four goals and five assists in 28 starts in his first year at that level.
After 18 more months in the Premier League with Leeds, Klich moved on from England with 24 goals and 21 assists in his 195 appearances.
How has Klich performed for D.C. United?
The 33-year-old gem has enjoyed a fantastic year in the MLS since his switch to America in January, with a string of impressive performances in midfield.
Klich has hit the ground running for D.C. United and has proved himself to be a consistent attacking threat from the middle of the park.
Statistic | Klich vs New York City (08/10/2023) |
|---|---|
Sofascore rating | 8.1 |
Goals | One |
Chances created | Two |
Pass accuracy | 91% |
Duels won | Four |
Klich’s most recent performance for D.C. United (via Sofascore) | |
The veteran wizard has contributed with four goals and seven assists in 32 MLS outings throughout 2023, which shows that the talented ace is getting back to the impressive form that he displayed under Bielsa earlier in his Leeds career.
He has only missed one ‘big chance’ and has showcased his terrific creativity with 2.5 key passes per game, as per Sofascore, and no Leeds player has managed more per match this term.
How many goals has Summerville scored this year?
Meanwhile, Summerville has scored three goals for Leeds over the course of 2023, whilst playing in the Premier League and the Championship.
He racked up one goal and one assist in 19 appearances in all competitions from January until the end of the 2022/23 campaign as the Dutch ace struggled to find consistency at the top level.
The 21-year-old wizard has contributed with two goals and two assists in nine outings so far this season under Farke, which mean that he has produced three goals and three assists in 28 matches in total this year.
This is five fewer goal contributions than Klich, who plays in a central midfield role, has managed in 2023, despite playing out on the wing.
Summerville is not the only Leeds attacker with fewer goals and assists than the Poland international in that time, though, as Italian winger Wilfried Gnonto has three goal and five assists in 28 games in all competitions for Leeds this year.
Was it a mistake to move Klich on?
These statistics suggest that Marsch had a mare by allowing Klich, who Rooney hailed as a “leader”, to move on from the club on a free transfer in January as the talented maestro could have been a big player at Championship level this season.
His form in the MLS suggests that the 33-year-old technician still has the quality to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position, with goals, assists, and key passes.
He has been able to outperform exciting attackers like Summerville and Gnonto throughout 2023 and it is a shame that Farke did not get the opportunity to work with the former Eredivisie star at Elland Road this term.
