Leeds managing director Angus Kinnear has revealed how the club lured Marcelo Bielsa to the Championship.

The Argentine is considered one of the most influential managers in the world, having been described by Pep Guardiola as the best.

Bielsa has Leeds on the verge of ending their Premier League exile, and Kinnear has explained they tempted him to join the club.

"It was really the brainchild of our director of football, Victor Orta," Kinnear told Sky Sports.

"He was asked by our owner, Andrea Radrizzani: 'If you could appoint anybody in the world, who would you appoint?'

"When he said the name, I have to say I smiled to myself - but our owner is nothing if not lacking ambition.

"When we went to Buenos Aires to speak to Marcelo, I thought we were going to have to do a really big sell in terms of the potential, the project and what Leeds United could become and the part he could play.

"But, in fact, he'd done his research and he was already committed to the cause.

"We actually spent the 24 hours in Buenos Aires just talking about the players and the systems and how he wanted to play.

"I left knowing he was going to be the manager of Leeds but not actually having the contract that I went over with to get signed."

Kinnear added that he believed Bielsa is having a similar impact at Leeds as Arsene Wenger had at Arsenal.

"I started my football career at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger and he had a philosophy that really touched every part of the club and Marcelo has been the same," he continued.

"He's not just a coach. He's an amazing coach and he's got a group of players who finished mid-table the season before he joined and it's effectively the same group of players that are now top of the league.

"But actually, his influence has extended across the club as a whole. He set new standards, he set a new philosophy and that's really touched every part of the club."