Leeds United's Championship rivals facing manager uncertainty as two-man Premier League shortlist emerges

West Bromwich Albion remain uncertain over the future of their manager Carlos Corberan, who is reportedly among two front-runners to take over at Premier League outfit Leicester City.

Leicester won the Championship title last month to secure their instant return to the top-flight, but were quickly dealt a blow when head coach Enzo Maresca emerged as a candidate to take over at Chelsea. The north London club moved quickly to secure Maresca’s signature, leaving those in charge at the King Power Stadium on the back foot going into the summer.

Among the many candidates to have been assessed is West Brom’s Corberan and now the Athletic reports that he is among the leading contenders to take over at Leicester. Corberan and Graham Potter, who has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, are thought to be the two front-runners as Leicester’s search comes towards its conclusion.

It seems as though Potter could be the preferred option for those in charge but the former Brighton manager has resisted rushing back into management, rejecting previous offers at the likes of Ajax. He was also thought to be of interest to Leeds United last summer but deemed out of reach for a Championship team.

Leicester’s complex financial situation makes it more difficult to attract a top-level boss, however, with the Foxes expected to receive a points deduction for previous breaches of profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). Reports have also suggested that sales of key players will need to happen this summer in order to avoid another breach and further punishment.

Leeds face another key season, so get closer to the action with our new newsletter - Inside Elland Road with Graham Smyth

Such a situation could keep a candidate like Potter from jumping into the role and so the Foxes are also thought to be in talks with Corberan. The Spaniard is said to be admired for his progressive style and is seen as a ‘serious’ candidate, although Leicester will have to pay compensation to West Brom - a potential stumbling block for a club already battling with their finances.

Corberan has received huge praise for his work with the Baggies, who he led to the Championship play-offs with limited resources, before eventually losing over two-legs to Southampton. The 41-year-old is another young coach admired by those in West Yorkshire, having worked as assistant to Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds before taking his own path into management.

Losing Corberan would be a major blow for West Brom, who will harbour hopes of challenging Leeds towards the top of the Championship again next season. But with a squad not up to the level of other promotion hopefuls, much of their hope will likely rely on keeping Corberan.

Regardless of Corberan’s future, the uncertainty will do little to help those at the Hawthorns planning for summer recruitment, with prospective targets not yet entirely sure who they will play for if they move. There is also the issue of recruiting for Corberan’s style and then potentially having to bring in someone with slightly different demands.

Leeds know only too well how summer uncertainty can bleed into the start of the season, having kicked off the last campaign inconsistently before finally finding their feet around the turn of the year - although it proved too late. There will be no such issues this time round, with chairman Paraag Marathe stressing the club’s desire to stick with Daniel Farke and back him in the summer.