Leeds United have been in a torrid run of form of late, picking up just six points from a possible 30 in their last 10 Premier League games.

These results unsurprisingly have left Jesse Marsch’s position looking somewhat unstable, as he has led a side that invested £93.91m over the summer to 18th place in the top flight standing, two points adrift from safety.

As the pressure ramps up and potential candidates begin to be sounded out by the media, it is worth looking back at who they could have got when they dismissed Marcelo Bielsa back in February of this year.

Although he was yet to be sacked at the time of this report, The Telegraph nevertheless claimed that Ernesto Valverde was one of three candidates in line to replace the Argentine who was revered across Yorkshire.

The Spaniard has flitted across Europe with his managerial exploits, earning vast experience before being offered the Barcelona job in 2017.

During his three-year stint in Catalonia, he managed to win four trophies including two La Liga titles, before being sacked due to issues regarding his play style.

Since then, the club have won just one Spanish Cup.

He has earned most of his praise for his various work with Athletic Bilbao, in which he secured Champions League football and brought them their first trophy in 31 years with a Supercopa de Espana win over the side he would later manage.

It marked a monumental task completed for a club that relies so heavily on signing players solely from the Basque region.

Perhaps under constraints at Leeds, he could have been the man to keep them safe and ensure a stronger start to the season than the one they are currently suffering.

In a recent interview, Xavi was full of praise for a man he dubbed “extraordinary” who had completed “excellent work” at the club.

Enjoying a bold and attacking brand of football, Valverde would surely have become an instant fan favourite were he to have brought even a modicum of his previous successes to Elland Road.

It seems like given their current form, Victor Orta dropped a clanger when he opted for Marsch instead of his compatriot.