MARCELO BIELSA may be on the brink of penning a staggering £8million-a-year deal at Leeds.
But one of his Elland Road heroes insists it will never be the money that motivates the boss known as El Loco — it will always be about the challenge.
Bielsa has been hailed as one of the world’s top gaffers by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, who both view him as a mentor.
He is already such a legend after guiding Leeds back to the Prem, that a street has been renamed Marcelo Bielsa Way.
But keeper Kiko Casilla says Bielsa will not stay anywhere unless he is tempted by the challenge, regardless of the size of the pay cheque.
Casilla, who was signed from Real Madrid in January 2019, revealed: “At his age, money takes a back seat — he looks more at whether his ideas can improve a team.
“It’s why he feels comfortable in the kind of challenges Leeds gives.
“I don’t just mean the quality of the players but also the academy, because he keeps a close eye on how the younger ones are doing.
“He wants to leave a legacy beyond just winning or losing.”
Casilla’s own future has been in the spotlight, following an eight-game ban after he used racist language against Charlton’s Jonathan Leko.
The Spaniard, 33, is set to begin the new season as second choice, but has no intention of leaving because he loves working with Bielsa so much.
Casilla, who has always protested his innocence on the racism charge, added: “People may call him El Loco but you’re working with a perfectionist, not a madman.
“His methods are very demanding — and he is so tough there are days when you would kill him.
“Everyone at Leeds has improved a lot with him.”
Yet for all Bielsa’s brilliance, Casilla reckons there should be a sense of realism about Leeds’ top-flight return.
He added: “You have to look towards survival first, which in this league is not just a given.”
