Relegation-threatened Leeds United are set to name former Watford boss Javi Gracia as their new manager in the coming days, two weeks on from parting with Jesse Marsch at Elland Road.
The Yorkshire outfit currently sit 19th in the Premier League following a narrow 1-0 loss at Goodison Park to Everton, who leapfrogged them in the process. And, despite spending well over £100m across the last two transfer windows, there are serious concerns that they may find themselves in the Championship next season.
And Gracia, who has been out of work since last summer when he left Qatari side Al Sadd, appears to be the man that they have settled on to try and get them out of the relegation zone and safely towards midtable between now and the end of the season. with the Athletic reporting that “the Spaniard will come in initially until the end of the season to oversee the fight against relegation”.
Gracia will bring Premier League experience, having managed Watford in the past, where he reached the FA Cup final with the Hornets. His first task will be a mammoth one, welcoming Southampton to Elland Road in another relegation six pointer. Should managerless Southampton come away from Yorkshire with three points, it would leave Leeds bottom of the table, two points from safety.
And the Saints have shown signs of turning their poor form around, with a hard-fought win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday and improved performances since the departure of Nathan Jones.
Leeds will be hoping that Gracia can have a similar effect on a evidently talented Leeds squad, but one that is not getting the results that it desperately needs to stay afloat.
