Leeds United have other managers in mind to replace Javi Gracia, with a 49ers takeover possibly impacting things at Elland Road, according to Ben Jacobs.
What’s Jacobs had to say about Gracia’s Elland Road future?
Gracia, who penned a flexible contract in Yorkshire back in February, has won just three of his 10 games in charge of the Whites.
April has been a month to forget for Gracia and Leeds, with heavy Premier League defeats to Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Liverpool. The latest loss came on Saturday to Fulham, which leaves the club just one point above the drop zone with six games remaining.
Talking to GiveMeSport regarding the club’s managerial situation, Jacobs said that the Whites “have other options in mind” and are open to changing manager if they are in the Premier League or Championship.
He added that the 49ers, who currently hold a 44% stake at Elland Road but could soon seal a full takeover from Andrea Radrizzani, will also have a say.
“Leeds have other options in mind and are keeping everything open at this stage.
“They're open to attracting a name they want if they get a blank slate in the Premier League. If they go down, they’re similarly open to changing their manager to give them the best possible chance of coming back up.
“I don't think Gracia’s future has been significantly altered by the last two results, even though Leeds have been soundly beaten.
“It's more a case of he knew what he was walking into, which was a flexible kind of contract that gave Leeds a lot of control based on the different permutations.
“Those permutations are not only defined by Leeds’ current ownership and majority owners but also the 49ers Enterprises aspect in the backdrop. If they come in, they will also have their own opinion and say how they want to go forwards.”
Who could Leeds target?
Leeds looked at a number of managers prior to appointing Gracia, with the likes of Andoni Iraola, Arne Slot and Carlos Corberan all names linked.
You’d expect that the Whites will need to remain in the top flight to have a chance of appointing any of those managers, and they could end up swapping leagues with Corberan, should he guide the Baggies to promotion via the playoffs.
The Daily Express’ Ryan Taylor recently looked at four candidates to replace Gracia for the run-in should Leeds decide to make a change which included former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
It’ll be interesting to see what Leeds decide to do next, but Gracia’s focus now will be on Tuesday’s crucial home clash with relegation rivals Leicester City.