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Leeds United are already considering three managers as potential successors to Marcelo Bielsa, according to a report that reminds no decision is likely to come from either side until the summer.

Bielsa is currently in his fourth season in charge of Leeds. He has earned cult-hero status in West Yorkshire after lifting the club back into the Premier League. They finished ninth in the top-flight last season, although the road to safety has been more challenging this time around.

Still, Bielsa is revered by the Leeds faithful. It will be a sad day for them when the time comes for him to leave the club. Realistically, though, they always know in the backs of their minds that he won’t be around forever.

The 66-year-old is already in his longest spell in charge of a club. But he has only committed to Leeds on a season-by-season basis. In the summer, concerns over his future will resurface.

With that in mind, it is prudent for the club to be drawing up plans for possible replacements if he does leave. According to The Telegraph, sporting director Victor Orta has already shortlisted three candidates. Under consideration are Jesse Marsch, Ernesto Valverde and Carlos Corberan.

Corberan’s name will be instantly familiar to Leeds fans. He previously served as a member of Bielsa’s staff, but has been forging his own path as a manager with Huddersfield Town since 2020.

The other two managers, Marsch and Valverde, have more top-flight experience. Marsch has managed the Red Bull clubs in New York, Salzburg and Leipzig. However, his stint with the latter did not last long and he is currently out of work.

Valverde, meanwhile, has been away from the game since his two-and-a-half-year spell in charge of Barcelona. He has previous experience with Athletic Bilbao (where he succeeded Bielsa), Olympiacos and others.

All three candidates have been identified by Leeds as ones with similar philosophies to Bielsa. They are at varying stages of their careers; Marsch is 48, Valverde 57 and Corberan 38.

Leeds will retain hope that Bielsa will carry on into a fifth season. However, they will only get to know by the summer. Before then, Orta will be networking as a case of forward planning.

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Leeds United linked with Barcelona talent

Valverde is not the only person with a Barcelona connection whom Leeds are considering. One of their targets on the pitch comes from the Camp Nou club.

Leeds United remain a feasible option for Barcelona midfielder Riqui Puig, with the La Liga side reportedly set to offload the player in the summer.

Puig has been a target for the Whites previously. But it’s unclear whether it was Barcelona’s doing or interest instigated from West Yorkshire.

The 22-year-old central midfielder has come up through the ranks at La Masia and made his first-team debut in 2018. His career though has stalled somewhat at the Camp Nou.

He hasn’t played for a month and has only been a starter in La Liga in one game. He has managed 17 minutes in the Champions League and one Copa del Rey start and his future looks bleak in Catalonia.

But as Sport point out “another season almost ostracized is neither good for the Blaugrana club nor for the player himself”.

Now Fichajes.net suggest that one of the clubs that would be interested in signing him is AC Milan. They could well be looking for a replacement forFranck Kessie, whose contract expires in the summer.

Bielsa’s Leeds are also namechecked again. The report reminds they have previously “shown interest” in Puig.

Granada, Villarreal and Real Betis have also apparently registered their interest in the player in recent seasons.

There’s no doubt Bielsa is in need of midfield recruits. His options have increased thanks to the return of Adam Forshaw this season. But overall, Kalvin Phillips cannot carry the Whites all season.

Leeds have not made a permanent central midfield signing since Forshaw arrived in January 2018 from Middlesbrough.

READ MORE: Marcelo Bielsa keen on double swoop for Middlesbrough stars, claims report

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