Victor Orta could be "making contingency plans" ahead of Marcelo Bielsa's potential Leeds United exit at the end of the season, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

The Whites suffered a comfortable 4-1 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend, meaning they have gone into Christmas sitting just five points clear of the Premier League's relegation zone.

What's the latest news involving Bielsa's future?

Question marks have already been raised over how much longer Bielsa will remain at Elland Road, with The Athletic correspondent Phil Hay suggesting he has a 'hunch' this will be the Argentinian's final season at the helm.

That claim came before Leeds suffered the heaviest defeat of Bielsa's reign so far, with the Whites being condemned to a 7-0 thrashing by reigning Premier League champions Manchester City last week.

Despite the major setback at the Etihad Stadium, Bielsa dismissed the possibility of him walking away from the Elland Road hot-seat and insisted he would fight until the end of the season.

The Express have name-checked Ronald Koeman, Frank Lampard, Jesse Marsch and Paulo Fonseca as potential replacements for Bielsa with the pressure ramping up.

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According to The Athletic journalist Adam Leventhal, Diego Martinez has links with Leeds director of football Victor Orta and could also be seen as a potential successor.

What has Pete O'Rourke said about Bielsa?

O'Rourke reckons Orta is already looking at who could potentially succeed Bielsa in the Yorkshire club's dugout.

The journalist also feels Bielsa's decision to only sign a 12-month contract prior to the season getting underway in August has led to even more uncertainty over what the future holds.

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O'Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: "We all know he only signs one-year deals at Leeds when he does his contract, so that's not great for Leeds and planning ahead.

"That's why maybe Victor Orta's making contingency plans for the end of the season to maybe bring in a new man."

How have Leeds performed under Bielsa?

Bielsa has been in charge since signing an initial two-year contract to replace the sacked Paul Heckingbottom in the summer of 2018.

He worked his way into club folklore after he ended the Whites' 16-year wait for a return to the Premier League by sealing promotion from the Championship last year.

Bielsa has led Leeds to 79 wins from 160 matches, but the Yorkshire club's last victory came close to a month ago when Raphinha's last-gasp penalty saw off Crystal Palace.

The 66-year-old has now been in charge of Leeds for a longer period of time than any other club during his managerial career.