Leeds are fighting to prevent Eddie Nketiah from following Jack Clarke through the Elland Road exit.
Tottenham have recalled Clarke early from his season-long loan because the teenage winger made just one Championship appearance as a substitute under Marcelo Bielsa.
Arsenal have the option to recall Nketiah and the on-loan England Under-21 striker has yet to start a league game for Leeds despite scoring five goals.
Bielsa claims he is unsure what Arsenal will decide and chief executive Angus Kinnear claims they are trying to persuade the Gunners to let Nketiah, who is wanted on loan by Bristol City, stay ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Birmingham.
“I appreciate much speculation still surrounds the future of Eddie Nketiah and although Arsenal have the right to recall him in January, we still believe he can make a huge impact over the remainder of the season at Leeds United,” said Kinnear.
“We are endeavouring to convince Eddie and the technical team at Arsenal that the coaching environment at Elland Road is still the best choice for his long-term development.”
Nketiah came on to help Leeds salvage a point against Preston on Boxing Day and Bielsa claims he is a great option to bring on from the bench.
“I saw Nketiah at a good level, light and fresh and able to run in a tough match,” said the Leeds head coach.
“He unbalanced them in a lot of situations. He was fast and comfortable in tight spaces.”
Bielsa was disappointed to lose Clarke after successfully blooding him last season and hopes the 19-year-old will feel he has helped him.
“I’m very grateful to Clarke,” he said. “He made his contribution in this part of the season, even if I didn’t use him.
“I always try to help the players become the best version of themselves. Sometimes this process is not fast, it’s slow and we don’t achieve it fast enough.”
