Leeds in talks with ex-Ajax boss Schreuder

Leeds United are in initial talks with former Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder to replace Jesse Marsch.

Schreuder replaced Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag at Ajax in the summer but was sacked in January.

Leeds have had several setbacks in their hunt for a manager since American Marsch was dismissed last Monday.

Feyenoord's Arne Slot ruled himself out while an approach for Rayo Vallecano's Andoni Iraola was blocked.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou says he is "shutting out" links with the job.

Another target was West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan - a former assistant to Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds - but he signed a new deal with the Championship side a day after Marsch's sacking.

Former Argentina midfielder Marcelo Gallardo has also been linked with the job, but the 47-year-old, who left River Plate in December after eight years, is on a break from coaching.

It is not certain if Schreuder would be appointed on an interim or permanent basis

Under-21 coach Michael Skubala has been in temporary charge of Leeds - who sit 17th in the Premier League table, one point above the relegation zone - and has overseen a 1-1 draw with United on Wednesday and Sunday's defeat.

Their next match is away to 18th placed Everton on Saturday.

After retiring as a player, Schreuder started his managerial career as assistant manager at Vitesse before moving to Twente to work under Steve McClaren in 2009.

He became Twente's permanent manager in 2014 before spells as assistant manager followed at Hoffenheim and Barcelona.

He led Club Brugge, who he joined in 2022, to the Belgian league title before his move to Ajax that summer, where he won 12 of his 26 matches in charge.

He was sacked after a seven-match winless run, with Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar saying it "became clear Schreuder could not change the tide".

As of Friday, Leeds had interviewed their four main candidates to replace Marsch and, writing in his programme notes before Sunday's game, chief executive Angus Kinnear admitted it had been a "challenging" week but the hunt for a new boss was "well advanced" and an appointment would be "prompt".

He added that he and director of football Victor Orta were fully aware of chairman Andrea Radrizzani's desire for a quick end to the search.

"The search for a new head coach is well advanced," he said.

"The task is being able to align our list of prospects - which has been built and evolved over many seasons - with current availability and the openness of candidates to accept a new role in mid-season.

"While we have confidence in the caretaker team, we know the importance of a prompt appointment and, if Victor and I are in any doubt, we have Andrea's Twitter account to keep the pressure on."