As things stand, Leeds United are struggling to find themselves a new manager, having seen Andoni Iraola decide to stay at Rayo Vallecano, while Feyenoord have openly stated they’ve not heard from the Whites regarding Arne Slot.
That has seen the odds of Nuno Espírito Santo becoming the next man in charge at Elland Road shorten considerably, overtaking the likes of Marcelo Gallardo in the process.
The Argentine was said to be on Leeds’ three-man shortlist to replace Jesse Marsch, although with Slot and Iraola seemingly out of reach, that should technically make him the favourite.
He is without a job and taking time off after eight long years at River, but there have been suggestions he would rather wait a bit longer before jumping back in.
The name of Rafa Benitez has also been mentioned for the Leeds United job, although it would be surprising to see him take over.
Why are we mentioning them all? Because Valencia are also interested in Gallardo, and have recently been said to be interested in Nuno Espírito Santo.
While Leeds are in a precarious position in the Premier League, they are at least financially healthy, while the same cannot be said for the La Liga club, who have been badly mismanaged over the years by their owner Peter Lim.
He said: “While they do not stop linking names of coaches to Valencia. What if Marcelo Gallardo, what if Baraja, what if Vicente Moreno… any coach without a team is likely to be in the pools. Although their styles are totally opposite. It is what you have not knowing what the project is or where you want to go.”
“I have Victor Lluch telling me all week to talk to my friend Rafa (Benitez). That I call him in Liverpool, that I convince him to come save us, that Valencia needs him. Do you really think I would be able to try to convince him to come? So that Lim deceives him and mistreats him like so many other coaches? For him to risk his prestige to save Lim from the situation he’s single-handedly put us in?
“I tell you one thing because I know, as a good Valencian fan he suffers with what is happening. Recently he told me ‘Calm down Eduardo, you’re not going down’. Well, not even his optimism convinced me even if it is almost the ‘word of God’.”
