Leeds are expected to make a move for West Brom coach Carlos Corberan after axing Jesse Marsch.
The Elland Road club are only out of the Premier League drop zone on goal difference ahead of successive games against Manchester United. Marsch, 49, was sacked after a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest made it seven games without a win in the top-flight.
Now Leeds want to speak to Spaniard Corberan, 39, who used to coach at Elland Road for three years from 2017-2020. Corberan has been a revelation at the Championship Baggies - steering the club into the play-offs despite inheriting a side in October propping up the table.
He has won 11 of his 16 games in charge but Albion have major funding problems and Corberan could be tempted to quit for Leeds where he knows Andrea Radrizzani.
Leeds’ Italian owner is expected to make sweeping changes after coaches Rene Maric, Cameron Toshack and Pierre Barrieu were also sacked. A club statement read: "We would like to thank Jesse and his backroom staff for their efforts and wish them well for the future.
"The process of appointing a new head coach is under way and we will continue to keep supporters up to date throughout the coming days." Leeds are back in action on Wednesday at Old Trafford against arch rivals Manchester United.
Despite being regularly compared to American comedy character Ted Lasso, Jesse Marsch did his very best to be taken seriously in the Premier League. But in the end, Leeds’ dire form became no laughing matter as the US coach was sacked.
He will now struggle to get another job back in English football like compatriot Bob Bradley who lasted less than three months at Swansea in 2016.
Marsch was marginally more successful as he survived 343 days in charge at Elland Road. The American, 49, was appointed last February with a brief to save the Whites from relegation - which he did on the final day to finish 17th.
But the club have not progressed since and Marsch paid the ultimate price after a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Leeds are 17th in the Premier League with 18 points from their first 20 matches and are only above the drop zone on goal difference.
After the same number of games last season they were 15th, with 20 points under Marcelo Bielsa. Leeds subsequently backed Bielsa's successor heavily on and off the field.
They spent £130million on signings including Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Tyler Adams and Max Wober who Marsch had worked with at other clubs.
The club broke their transfer record again in January to buy Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim for £36m. While the loan which brought American Weston McKennie from Juventus last month contains an option to buy the midfielder outright at a price which would equal Rutter's.
The pair both came off the bench to little effect at the City Ground where Leeds alarmingly ran out of ideas after a dominant first half.
Marsch even damningly admitted post-match: “The guys off the bench were not able to bring enough into the match. It is difficult to have the right words for the team on exactly what is necessary.”
In the end, Marsch's side won only four of their 20 league matches this season, with six draws and 10 defeats and he won only eight Premier League games in total.
The former coach of RB Leipzig, New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg said after the Forest loss he would take “full responsibility”.
But he probably wasn’t expecting a P45 less than 24 hours later. His reign certainly won’t be going down in Leeds history alongside the Elland Road greats like Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson.
Even Ted Lasso has had a longer shelf life after three Apple TV series about the American college football coach who is hired to coach an English 'soccer' team and proves unexpectedly successful.
But Leeds are still in the FA Cup, and some of Marsch’s signings like exciting young wideman Wilfried Gnonto,19, could yet leave a legacy if the club avoid relegation and then thrive.
