Leeds United are keen on appointing Marcelo Gallardo as their next manager…

What’s the latest Leeds manager news?

According to journalist Jason Burt of the Telegraph, the Argentine is seen as the ‘true long-term successor’ of Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, despite initially rejecting the club’s advances.

It’s thought that the 47-year-old is keen to return to management, but only in the summer, meaning the west Yorkshire outfit could be made to wait.

Whites director of football Victor Orta is a huge admirer but faces the worrying prospect of the club being relegated before they could hire him, and then they’ll likely be a far less attractive option.

Can Gallardo finally replace Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road?

Gallardo is arguably one of the more impressive options available on the market, having guided River Plate to 14 trophies in eight-and-a-half-year tenure and subsequently became their greatest-ever manager.

The former Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain maestro won the equivalent of the Champions League, Europa League and European Super Cup all within the first 14 months of taking the helm, which ended Los Millonarios’ near 20-year duck in continental competitions.

In the end, Gallardo managed a 54.7% win rate and 1.88 points per match at the Estadio Monumenta, via Transfermarkt – both longevity and success that Leeds could only dream of.

There are many similarities between the legendary ex-River boss and the aforementioned Bielsa, which can be seen by Marcelo Tulbovitz’s glowing endorsement of the man he worked with for half a decade.

“His main quality is how gets across his ideas. The way he conveys what he wants the team to do on the pitch. Another great virtue is how he manages the work. He is all about the details,” he said to DelSol FM.

“If he has to sub off someone, he does not count to three. He’s not capricious in those things. He has an aggressive and offensive vision of the game. He is pragmatic, not tied to a system, and he is quick to read his rival.”

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is also a noted admirer of Gallardo, once claiming (via The Athletic):

“What Gallardo has done with River is incredible. Every year three coaches are named as the best in the world, and he’s never among them.”

Guardiola has never been shy of waxing lyrical about Bielsa, who he believes is the “best coach in the world” and would’ve won more titles than he did at Barcelona with the same squad.

Meanwhile, the three-time South American Coach of the Year was renowned for giving youth plenty of opportunity, handing debuts to no fewer than 30 academy graduates, including the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Sebastian Driussi, Giovani Simeone and Julian Alvarez.

In further likeness to Bielsa and in a bid to squeeze every little edge out of his side, Gallardo became the first manager in Argentina to appoint a female member of staff after he brought in Dr. Sandra Rossi to help train the mental side of things – clearly, he’s a pioneer and a progressive sort of coach.

Given the above evidence, few hold better credentials to finally see fellow coaching legend Bielsa replaced at Leeds.

Jesse Marsch was never going to be the answer, then again, anyone who took the reins after the Argentine was going to struggle but Gallardo could be the man to bridge that gap and get the Elland Road faithful excited once again.

Orta must do all he can to lure the Bielsa-esque boss to west Yorkshire, before it’s too late.

AND in other news, Leeds could get the very best out of Ayling by appointing “perfect” 40 y/o manager...

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Marcelo Tulbovitz en 13a0

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