The big Elland Road stakes! Carlos Corberan and Andoni Iraola up front to land Leeds job

The race for Leeds United’s next manager is heating up, with Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola and West Brom’s Carlos Corberan leading the way as the club seek a new boss for Manchester United’s visit on Sunday.

Club sources have said the whites narrowed their search to a shortlist of four and began interviewing Monday night. However, her top two candidates are currently in jobs, which could delay her search for a new man until the weekend.

Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was sacked as Southampton boss back in November, is also recommended for the job by Paddy Power and has been looking for work since leaving St Mary’s. Meanwhile, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is a 20-1 outsider for hotseat Elland Road.

Leeds hero and former boss Marcelo Bielsa, who led the club back to the Premier League and is a fan favorite for the club, remains the bookmakers’ dark horse in the race for his old job.

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani is said to be flying to England from his home in Italy to oversee the trial. Chief Executive Angus Kinnear and Director of Football Victor Orta, meanwhile, held a meeting with players at the club’s Thorp Arch training ground on Tuesday to update them on the latest developments.

Orta was influential in Marsch’s appointment last year and once again plays a key role in hiring his successor, drawing on his connections in his native Spain. He is keen on former Spain international Iraola, who guided Rayo to fifth in LaLiga, and draws inspiration from Bielsa, who he played under at Athletic Bilbao.

The 40-year-old dodged questions about a potential move to Elland Road following Rayo’s 2-0 win over Almeria on Monday night. “Football belongs to the footballers, we are not that important,” said Iraola. “The players make us look better. They are the ones to achieve this.’

Orta is also said to have tracked down Real Madrid legend Raul, who is now in charge of the club’s B-Team, but no further talks with him are expected. Radrizzani is a fan of Corberan, having previously worked under Bielsa at Leeds, and the Baggies boss would be keen on a move back to West Yorkshire.