EXCLUSIVE

Danny Mills has revealed new details about the fall-out between Marcelo Bielsa and Pontus Jansson that preceded the defender’s shock transfer from Leeds United to Brentford.

The Sweden international joined the Championship mid-table club yesterday for £5.5million plus add-ons in a move that has prompted anger and confusion from United supporters.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, ex-United defender Mills, who has maintained a strong relationship with the club since his playing days, revealed he has spoken to Leeds chiefs in the last 24 hours to get the lowdown on Jansson’s exit.

“The reason he fell out with Leeds was because he wanted extra time off after the summer internationals,” Mills told Football Insider. “He kept asking Bielsa and Bielsa kept saying ‘no’.

“It came to the point where Bielsa said, ‘that’s enough’. Jansson wanted special treatment and Bielsa wasn’t willing to give it to him. He has a firm plan for the direction the team is going and was not willing to change that.

“All of the others players, including those who played end-of-season internationals, were happy to come back. Jansson felt he deserved more time off. That was the final straw for Bielsa.”

Mills is convinced Bielsa was well within his rights to demand the non-internationals returned for pre-season training a fortnight ago and then the internationals a week later.

“Absolutely. You are a Championship player and the season starts in four weeks. Get yourself back in training, that’s your job and it is the way it is. You can have all the holidays you want when you retire.

“Last year, Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Kieran Trippier had 10 days off after the World Cup. Trent Alexander-Arnold played in the Champions League final on 1 June and then for England, and he’s back in pre-season training. That’s the price of success sometimes.”

In other Leeds United news, the club have been offered the chance to ambush huge Aston Villa deal.