Leeds eye Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot after Carlos Corberan contract talks collapse

The sought-after Spanish coach Carlos Corberan has signed a new long-term contract at West Bromwich Albion after talks broke down with Leeds United over the length of a potential deal.

Corberan committed his future to the Championship club by agreeing a new four-and-a-half-year extension, less than four months after his appointment. He had been a major option for Leeds who are now expected to turn to another Spanish coach, Andoni Iraola, 40, the Rayo Vallecano manager.

Iraola, a Basque, who was a club legend as a player at Athletic Club de Bilbao over 12 years and more than 500 games, is the next option for Leeds following Monday’s dismissal of Jesse Marsch on Monday. Leeds have also looked at Arne Slot, the Feyenoord manager, whose side are currently top of the Dutch Eredivisie.

Iraola’s Vallecano are currently fifth in the Liga table, and outperforming their budget by some margin. He got to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey last season and finished 12th. That followed promotion the previous year. As a player, he was coached at Bilbao by Leeds’ former coach Marcelo Bielsa who took the club back into the Premier League in 2020 after a 16-year absence.

Corberan, 39, has admirers for his previous work at Elland Road under Bielsa, when he worked for the first team and the academy. In the last four months he has overseen a huge turnaround at West Brom, winning ten out of the 12 league games he has been in charge of to take the club into the play-off places following his arrival in October.

He said: “I have enjoyed my time at Albion, and I am pleased to have secured a contract extension. I would like to thank my staff, the players, and our fantastic supporters for their help in making my time here so positive.

“I would also like to thank Ron Gourlay for continuing to show faith in me as a coach. I believe that success can only be achieved when everyone works together and the way I have been made to feel welcome at this great club has made me confident that this is the right place for me.

“It is important to me that we do not let this moment distract us from our target, which is to ensure we improve every day, making the team more and more competitive for the challenges ahead. My focus is always on earning a positive result in our next game and we are working hard to achieve that at Birmingham City on Friday night.”