‘Wasn’t prepared to come’: Angus Kinnear admits Leeds really wanted to hire 41-year-old manager

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Leeds United’s search for a new manager after the sacking of Jesse Marsch was nothing short of a disaster.

The Whites took too long to find a replacement for the American, and by the time Javi Gracia eventually came in, the club was only heading in one direction.

However, it wasn’t for the lack of trying to get a new gaffer in.

Indeed, at the time, Leeds were being linked with all sorts of different candidates, and according to Angus Kinnear, speaking on The Square Ball Podcast, Andoni Iraola was one gaffer the club were very keen on.

Kinnear says that Iraola had suggested to Leeds that he was ready to come to Elland Road, but, ultimately, he changed his mind late in the day despite having an exit clause.

Leeds wanted Iraola

Kinnear spoke about the 41-year-old.

“The process was the same. The people identified at that time should Jesse not continue were Iraola, Slot and Raul. Raul told us earlier in the process that he wasn’t prepared to come to Leeds at that point. Iraola and Slot told us they were prepared to come to Leeds, and would be made available. When the process started, it happened quickly, Iraola decided he wasn’t prepared to come anymore, even though he had an exit clause and Slot misjudged the vehemence of his club to keep him. Those conversations were good and warm, we thought both of those would be candidates, and so Javi was definitely further down the list,” Kinnear said.

Right decision

As much as Leeds are a massive club, we have to say that Iraola made the right call here.

Indeed, taking the Leeds job last season was an almost impossible situation to enter to, and when your managerial stock is high, you don’t want to be taking those types of risks.

Instead, Iraola waited for another Premier League job, and now, he’s at Bournemouth where he’s been backed to the tune of over £100m to form his own squad this summer.

Leeds got it wrong in hiring Gracia, but Iraola was probably right to knock them back at that point.