Leeds United news as Andoni Iraola now preferred target for 49ers Enterprises
Leeds United have made contact with former managerial target Andoni Iraola about taking the vacant managerial position at Elland Road, according to Football League World.
Having completed the full takeover, 49ers Enterprises have now firmly placed their attention on filling the vacant managerial hotseat after Sam Allardyce’s departure, with Carlos Corberan and Daniel Farke emerging as two of the top targets.
Iraola was long earmarked as the frontrunner [BBC Sport, 8 February] for the Elland Road vacancy after Jesse March’s sacking [Sky Sports, 6 February] before the Whites finally decided to appoint former Watford boss Javi Gracia before the end of February.
And according to Football League World sources [19 June], the Rayo Vallecano coach has emerged as the 49ers preferred managerial target at Elland Road.
The Whites hope to interview the Spaniard soon with their first choice Brendan Rodgers now close to sealing a switch to Celtic.
Championship desire?
What will have encouraged the Leeds United board is that Iraola didn’t give a plain “no” to potentially managing the club in the near future, and it seems as though the 49ers are hell-bent on making their presence known with this acquisition.
Iraola has done a spectacular job at Vallecano, leading them to 11th in La Liga an improvement on the position they finished during the 2021/22 campaign, playing attractive, front-front, high-intensity football so the appeal is certainly there to try and convince the Spaniard to join.
However, with Iraola possessing the capabilities to manage a European side in the not-so-distant future, Leeds United may well feel his services may be too far to reach.
The fact that the club are in the process of interviewing him for the role certainly indicates that Iraola is open to the possibility of managing in the Championship, but it’s whether the 49ers can convince him about the Elland Road project as well as granting him the assurances he needs to rebuild Leeds United into a fortress again.
Should all else fail though, Leeds United certainly have some superb names to fall back on in Corberan and Farke. But, they’ve got to be very swift and decisive with their decision.
In other Leeds United news, with the new boss now key one man is emerging as a “serious contender” for the job.