Leeds United will not stand in Huddersfield Town's way over Carlos Corberan approach

The Terriers have made the Spaniard their top target to replace the sacked Danny Cowley, and have reportedly approached their neighbours for permission to speak to Corberan.

The now-37-year-old joined the Whites in 2017, initially with a brief to run the under-23s, but this was expanded to include a role co-ordinating with the first team at Radrizzani's request.

Leeds's under-23s won the Professional Development League last season, and he would fit more easily into Huddersfield's vision for the future than Cowley did. The clash of ideas was cited as the reason the Terriers surprisingly parted company with Cowley less than 48 hours after he saved them from relegation.

Having persuaded Corberan to resist the opportunity to go into first-team management last summer, Radrizzani is unlikely to do so again.

“Carlos joined this club in the first year as manager of the under-23s,” the Italian explained. “He did a good job.

“I actually asked myself directly to Marcelo (Bielsa, the head coach) if we could have him involved in first-team squad to create more cohesion between the under-23s and first team, and I think it was a very good idea because I think we have proven the co-management creates more opportunities to players like Jamie Shackleton, Jordan Stevens, Ian Poveda, Pascal Struijk.

“We have seen many other players join the first team during these two years and this is a consequence of my request.”

Corberan, who began his coaching career as a 26-year-old fitness coach with Villareal, had brief spells as a head coach in Cyprus with Doxa Katopopias and Ermis Aradippou before moving to Thorp Arch.

Radrizzan feels the time is right for him to return to that status if he wants to.

“I understand the ambition of Carlos, last year he had some opportunities to leave to become a first team coach,” said Radrizzani. “I asked him to stay a year because we had an unfinished job.

“He did stay and I think now he needs have the credit to enjoy this success, his hard work every day. I know how much Carlos works.

“I think now it is good if he can take his own way, his own path, and start a new journey to build himself as a first-team coach. He deserves it.”

Huddersfield initially wanted Cowley as a coach within their structure, which has a new head of football operations this summer in Leigh Bromby.

Cowley refused but was persuaded to come as manager, where he enjoyed taking the sort of hands-on role he had enjoyed at the previous clubs he managed, lower down the football pyramid with far fewer backroom staff. He did an excellent job in saving Town from relegation.

With their finances badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic which will even require them to pay back some of the parachute payment they received from the Premier League this season, they are likely to focus more on young players, whereas Cowley was talking about a blend of youth and experience. There will also be a demand to improve on the sometimes functional – although he would argue, necessarily so – football of this season.

Huddersfield are not inviting applications for the job and are expected to make a quick appointment.

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