Insider Dean Jones has claimed that former River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo is on the list at Leeds United as they search for a new manager.

What's going on at Leeds?

Leeds dismissed manager Jesse Marsch in early February, but are yet to find a replacement, and now find themselves in the relegation zone after a defeat to Everton in what was a crucial match near the bottom of the table.

They moved for a number of targets who refused to leave their current club, including Andoni Iraola of Rayo Vallecano and Arne Slot of Feyenoord, and now find themselves in a tough situation where they will need to attract a manager who can make an immediate impact with no signings in a relegation battle.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Gallardo is one of the names Leeds are currently looking at, but there may be difficulties in appointing him.

"I know Gallardo is one of the names high on their list," he stated.

"But they've already failed with the last three or four managers that they've considered for this job since Marsch has gone. They're starting to look pretty desperate.

"Anyone they turn to here is going to really have to talk to people about what the situation is and ask why am I fifth choice for this job? Why are you turning to me right now?"

Will Gallardo join now?

The Argentine coach has earned a lot of plaudits for his success at River Plate, which included winning the Copa Libertadores against their biggest rivals Boca Juniors.

He has long been linked with a move to Europe, with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Villarreal linked in recent times, and there may be no shortage of interest in the 47-year-old.

He could wait until the summer before assessing his options, and taking charge of a team with a full pre-season and a transfer window, meaning the Leeds job will be a far less appealing role right now.

Any manager that comes in will be joining a club that have made themselves look desperate in their pursuit, and will not be able to strengthen a squad that was built around Marsch's demands.

It therefore seems unlikely that they will be able to tempt Gallardo with the role, and their search could reach further levels of desperation if they do not have alternative names in mind.