Marcelo Bielsa’s potential replacement in the Leeds United dugout Ruben Amorim is ‘very highly thought of’, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The current Sporting Lisbon manager has limited experience in the hot seat but has already cultivated a reputation as one of European football’s brightest tactical brains.

What is the latest news involving Amorim?

After showcasing his credentials as an elite-level coach during a short 13-game spell in charge of Braga, Sporting saw enough potential to pay their domestic rivals £8 million to secure his services.

Many questions were asked when the capital club’s hierarchy decided to splash out such a fee for the then 35-year-old back in March 2020, yet Amorim has silenced any doubters since.

The retired centre-back guided the Verde e brancos to their first top-flight title since 2002 last term, suffering just one defeat in their 34-league fixtures, breaking Benfica and Porto’s duopoly in emphatic fashion.

Sporting currently sit in second position in the Primeira Liga table, six points behind league leaders Porto following their entertaining 2-2 draw last time out and will still be hopeful of retaining their crown for the first time since 1954.

However, Amorim’s impressive exploits at the Estádio José Alvalade have caught the eye of some of the continent’s top teams, who are eager to snap up the next big supercoach.

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According to Portuguese outlet UOL, Leeds have evaluated the young tactician as they line up Bielsa’s long-term heir but his reported €30m (£25.7) release clause could be a problem.

What has Jones said about Amorim?

Bielsa has made a habit of signing one-year extensions throughout his time in west Yorkshire, meaning his existing deal is set to expire at the end of the current campaign.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay previously claimed he had a ‘hunch’ the Argentine wouldn’t be extending his stay into next season at Leeds, though.

Meanwhile, David Anderson informed GiveMeSport that the Elland Road outfit had already begun the search for Bielsa’s replacement and were targeting managers with a similar style of play.

And Jones has revealed that Amorim isn’t short of admirers, telling GMS: “He's a guy that's very highly thought of, very young.”

Is Amorim similar to Bielsa?

With a record of 80 victories from his 107 games in the managerial dugout giving him a win percentage of 75%, it’s easy to understand why the young boss is so highly thought of.

A report from Total Football Analysis illustrates how Amorim favours a 3-4-3 system with a lot of fluid movement in the attacking phase, positional play and counter-pressing with lots of vertical passes in the build-up phase.

Although the formation may be slightly different, there are a lot of similarities with Bielsa, meaning Amorim could be considered an ideal candidate to carry on the South American’s good work.