Leeds United were prepared to pay £6.2 million to trigger the release clause for Andoni Iraola before being turned down by the Rayo Vallecano boss, according to a report from The Telegraph.
For the first time in just over a week, Leeds fans have some sort of idea of what the plan at Elland Road is – even if that is only the case for the next few days.
The club confirmed on Tuesday that Michael Skubala will take charge of the ‘upcoming fixtures’. Obviously, that is quite a vague statement. But it is probably safe to assume that he will be leading the team for this weekend’s game against Everton.
Leeds were prepared to pay release clause for Iraola
The board have bought themselves some time to find Jesse Marsch’s successor. And they have needed that breathing space after a turbulent pursuit so far.
Several names have come into the frame. But few seem to actually remain in contention. The Telegraph notes that the likes of Arne Slot, Carlos Corberán and Alfred Schreuder have all been linked. But it does appear that the primary target was Rayo boss Iraola.
The Telegraph reports Leeds were confident that the 40-year-old would take over. And it seems that they did not see agreeing terms with his club being an issue.
The report notes that his contract includes a €7 million release clause. And Leeds were ready to trigger that before being turned down.
You can understand why Leeds’ targets have their reservations. It is not the most exciting time to move to Elland Road. It will surely be a much more encouraging race in the summer, as long as Leeds stay up.
You do have to wonder whether the board – rightly or wrongly – have any second thoughts about letting Marsch go. Obviously, the situation could not go on any longer.
But with Leeds heading into the unknown with Skubala at the helm, the board may be wishing that there was a way of acknowledging the fans’ concerns about Marsch without actually making a change – simply due to what has gone on since.
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