The day Marcelo Bielsa leaves Leeds United will be a strange day.
The Argentine has been at Elland Road for two and a half years now and has taken them back to where they belong; the Premier League.
Not since 2004 have the Whites been in the top-flight and not since 2012 have they had a manager in the job as long as Bielsa.
There is a special bond between the manager and the club. He is the first head coach since Simon Grayson to take charge of over 100 games for Leeds and this is the first time he’s stayed in a job for this many matches.
Clearly, Bielsa loves Leeds. He has transformed the very face of the football club, taking them from mid-table in the Championship to mid-table in the richest league in the world.
The 65-year-old recently admitted that he could see himself at Elland Road for the rest of his life but the fact of the matter is, his time in Yorkshire will come to an end eventually.
Bielsa’s contract expires at the end of the season and although hints have been made that he’s keen to renew, he may well walk out the exit door.
That would be surprising, but contingency plans are in place in case he doesn’t sign on the dotted line for another season.
According to The Times, Leeds have former Juventus boss Max Allegri on their shortlist of potential Bielsa replacements.
This would be an almighty surprise if he was lured to Leeds, but it would be an almighty statement of intent from Andrea Radrizzani.
The Italian has broken Leeds’ transfer record to sign Rodrigo while merely bringing Bielsa in was a huge shock. Though, Allegri is a manager who led Juve to five Serie A titles and to a Champions League final.
This is the type of manager the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool would consider; not a club currently sitting in 12th place in the Premier League.
For that reason alone, it would be a huge surprise if he came to Leeds. Though, it speaks volumes about the type of ambitions the Whites have.
It only feels like yesterday that Radrizzani was talking about extra investment putting the Whites on a par with Man City. Indeed, further funding from the 49ers may well do that in due course.
Though, if they want to achieve parity on the field of play, Allegri would surely bring them close. He is a first-class coach, someone who usually says no to you, rather than the other way round.
If Radrizzani can lure Allegri to Leeds, it could well be his most surprising Leeds call yet, one that will prove that Leeds really are battling to get back into the highest levels of European football.