Spanish coach Diego Martinez would likely have rejected the chance to replace Unai Emery at Villarreal if he’d gone to Newcastle, as he wants the Leeds United job.
That’s according to La Razon, who say Martinez has already made steps to ensure he’s in line to replace Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road.
They explain that Martinez is Villarreal’s ‘preferred option’ should they be forced to find a replacement for Emery, who has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle.
That move has now been dismissed by Emery and reports in Spain, but should there be a surprise turnaround, Martinez is the man they want to replace him.
He’s already turned down Levante and Getafe and has moved to England to continue his coaching training and ‘perfect his language skills’.
This is something Leeds boss Victor Orta ‘values positively’, and he will be the person to ‘endorse’ Martinez’s arrival at the club should Bielsa depart.
It’s all dependent on whether the Argentine does go, of course, so this is one to wait for until the end of the season, but it seems Martinez is already making an effort to line himself up for the position.
