Leeds Handed Boost Over 47-Year-Old Manager Target

Leeds United have been boosted in their efforts to make Regis Le Bris their next manager, according to a fresh update regarding the situation.

Who is Regis Le Bris?

The Whites are busy working on nailing down their next appointment in the Elland Road hot seat, following a tumultuous 2022/23 campaign that culminated in relegation from the Premier League to the Championship.

Sam Allardyce was the latest individual to leave the post once the season reached its climax last month, with Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia also departing since the turn of the year. A host of names have been thrown into the hat when it comes to Leeds’ potential new manager, including the likes of Steven Gerrard, Brendan Rodgers and Carlos Corberan.

Le Bris is another who has been linked with taking charge of the Whites, however, with the 47-year-old currently the boss of Ligue 1 side FC Lorient. A new update has now emerged that has handed Leeds a boost, after a recent report threw the move into doubt by suggesting he was on the verge of becoming manager of OGC Nice.

What’s the latest on Le Bris to Elland Road?

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], in what they describe as a new twist, there is not actually an agreement in place with Nice, acting as a clear positive for Leeds in their question to potentially bring in Le Bris.

Not only that, but journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter took to Twitter to claim that the Frenchman has a €5m (£4.3m) release clause in his Lorient deal, which means he could arrive at Elland Road on the cheap:

“FYI, Regis Le Bris has a departure clause in his contract…it is for an amount of €5m!!!”

This is clearly good news for Leeds, should they see Le Bris as a primary candidate to come in this summer, in what is such a massive decision for the club. It is essential that they bring in the right man, following a number of false dawns since Marcelo Bielsa’s exit, and the Lorient boss could certainly be an intriguing option.

Known for adopting a direct approach on the pitch – an article from The Analyst pointed out that “no side attempts fewer passes into the final third than Lorient with their 44 per game” back in October – Le Bris could make Leeds a tough team to come up against, although he has never won a trophy in his career which is a drawback.

That is something that Gerrard and Rodgers have achieved, for example – they have both won the Scottish Premiership, with the latter also tasting FA Cup glory with Leicester City – and it still feels more likely that the Whites will go with more of a high-profile name than take a gamble on Le Bris.