Jesse Marsch wants to keep Jack Harrison at Leeds United and the player’s not itching to leave Elland Road, the head coach believes. The winger scored the opener and assisted the third goal in Saturday’s FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley.
Harrison was catching the eye for all the right reasons while noise around Leicester City’s interest in him continued to swirl in the media. The Athletic reports a £20m bid went in from the Foxes recently with his future up in the air as the transfer window enters its 11th hour.
While United’s head coach knocked back direct questions about transfers, he was happy to talk up Harrison’s role in his squad and how impressively he played with speculation on his future rife. Marsch gave Harrison a pointed hug as he left the field.
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“All I'll say is I really like Jack, first as a person,” he said. “He's one of the most incredible people I've ever coached. We like him here. We want to keep him. He's performing really well.
“Getting him fit and healthy has been a big key. He's got flexibility in the way he plays. I was just happy for him, with all the things that are circulating, he was so clear and sharp and good on the day. So that was the biggest reason for the hug.”
Marsch maintains the dialogue with Harrison has remained open in recent weeks with honest conversations about his status at Elland Road. The American insists the number 11 is happy at Leeds and has not made any suggestions he wants a route out of West Yorkshire.
“When things start circulating, it's never easy to just stay focused on what your job is, but I've tried to have an open dialogue with him and be very honest with him and we have that kind of relationship,” said Marsch.
“He does like it here. That's all I can say. It's not like he's itching to leave. I know when I see him now, I see a guy who's clear and confident and nothing's going to faze him.”
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