There is mixed news for Leeds United fans regarding the pursuit of Marcelo Bielsa, according to a reliable football journalist on Twitter.

Alan Nixon is reporting that Leeds still see Bielsa as their number one choice, however he is "hard work and expensive".

Bielsa has been in advanced talks with Leeds for a while now but there appears to be no progress on this deal.

The Whites are desperately trying to bring in the Argentine as a replacement for recently-sacked Paul Heckingbottom at Elland Road.

Bielsa is their top choice this summer but Leeds have also contacted three other possible candidates in the past week as a contingency plan, Nixon has confirmed.

The 62-year-old has previously managed both Argentina and Chile's national teams, as well as Marseille, Lazio, Athletic Bilbao and others.

He was most recently at Lille, where he was sacked in December, and he is renowned for his unorthodox methods and his unusual 3-3-3-1 formation.

Leeds face a battle to land Bielsa because of his cost and now Portuguese giants Sporting CP are in the hunt too, according to reports.

But the Yorkshire club still see Bielsa as their main target and talks are ongoing.

The Verdict

Bielsa is a maverick coach who would bring something entirely different to Leeds and the Championship.

His 3-3-3-1 formation is intriguing, his methods are different and his in-depth studying of the minor details in the game could prove to be genius.

But it is good to see Leeds planning for life without Bielsa by contacting three others about this job.

Leeds fans - What do you make of Nixon's update? Let us know below...