Garry Monk has stunningly quit Leeds United this afternoon.
Ex-Leeds United manager Gary Monk
Leeds United have today confirmed that manager Garry Monk has handed in his resignation, ending his time at Elland Road in an abrupt departure.
The Whites handed Monk a route back into management last summer, with the 38-year-old previously out of work having been sacked by Swansea City in December 2015.
General view inside Elland Road
Monk made a slow start to life at Elland Road, but did eventually get Leeds firing, and they looked to be on course for a play-off place, only to falter in the final weeks of the season and end up in seventh place in the Championship table.
Having only signed a one-year deal when he joined Leeds, there have been questions asked about Monk’s future at Elland Road, and whilst the Whites intended to activate a one-year option on his contract, Monk has today resigned.
Former Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka
That leaves Leeds looking for a new manager yet again, and Sky Bet’s early odds show Aitor Karanka as the hot early favourite for the job, with odds of just 8/13.
Karanka, 43, left his position as Middlesbrough manager in March with Boro struggling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, but his Championship record was impressive.
The Spaniard, who became Boro boss in November 2013, took the club to the Championship play-off final in 2015 before winning automatic promotion in 2016, and he has largely earned a reputation for being a manager who can build strong defences, but often lacks attacking intent.
Aitor Karanka
Karanka is the clear odds-on favourite for the Leeds job, and it would certainly make some sense given that the Yorkshire Evening Post report that new Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani plans to appoint a Technical Director, with Victor Orta the leading candidate.
Karanka and Orta worked closely together at Middlesbrough, and a reunion would certainly make some sense given Radrizzani’s plan for a Technical Director, as Orta’s prior rapport with Karanka would mean few problems between director and manager.
Would you like to see Leeds appoint Karanka?
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