The West Brom head coach, Carlos Corberán, has signed a contract extension to rule himself out of the running for the vacant Leeds United job.
The 39-year-old Corberán, an assistant to Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, appeared to be the favourite to replace the sacked Jesse Marsch but has instead committed himself to the Hawthorns until the summer of 2027.
“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,” said Corberán, who has won 10 of his 13 matches in charge to take the relegation-threatened Baggies into sixth in the Championship.
“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.”
Corberán signed a two-and-a-half-year contract in October after taking over from Steve Bruce with the team struggling near the foot of the table.
However, the Spaniard’s impact has been so impressive that he started talks with the chief executive, Ron Gourlay, three weeks ago about where the club was going and that has prompted the contract extension.
“I have always been impressed by Carlos and my admiration of him as a coach has only grown since he arrived here,” Gourlay said. “His passion for the game we all love has been infectious for all connected with the club, not least our players, who have clearly benefited from Carlos’ first-class coaching, tactical know-how, and attention to detail.
“We sat down three weeks ago to discuss the future of the club and Carlos’s vision for Albion is absolutely aligned with my own. Together we are determined to continue taking the club forwards.”
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) February 7, 2023
At Leeds, Chris Armas is in line to take caretaker charge. The American coach, a former Manchester United assistant manager, was appointed a fortnight ago as Marsch’s No 2 and could be retained.
The highly experienced Rafael Benítez is available but, although he has friends in the Leeds boardroom, the former Liverpool, Newcastle and Everton manager may not be the right tactical fit for the director of football, Victor Orta, who favours a high-intensity pressing game.
The similarly unattached Mauricio Pochettino could have greater appeal, but it is unclear whether the former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager would consider such a high-risk posting.
