There is a new number one target in Leeds United's hunt to replace sacked manager Thomas Christiansen, and it is Paul Heckingbottom, manager of the club's Yorkshire rivals Barnsley.

That news is according to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay. Leeds are seemingly in no mood to mess around in their search for a new manager and hope to get a deal done as early as tonight.

The main stumbling block would appear to be that Heckingbottom recently signed a contract extension at Oakwell after a protracted negotiation process that had worried some fans.

The man known as 'Hecky' was keen to emphasise his commitment to the club when he signed the new deal but Leeds hope that his head will be turned by the prospect of swapping the relegation battle for an outside shout in the promotion push.

Leeds fans took to Twitter to react to the news and we've taken a closer look at some of the best tweets...

Leeds fans - what are your thoughts on Heckingbottom becoming your top managerial target? Let us know in the comments below...