Sam Allardyce LEAVES Leeds United after crunch talks with the club’s hierarchy

Sam Allardyce has left his role as Leeds United boss after discussions with the club following the conclusion of the Premier League season.

The 68-year-old couldn’t prevent the Yorkshire outfit from being relegated after being given a four-game deal for the final run-in of the campaign.

Mail Sport reported on Wednesday how he was set for crunch talks with CEO Angus Kinnear on Thursday, but he will now depart Elland Road.

Allardyce – who had said in the final week of the season that he would see if he was ‘aligned’ with the club before making a decision on his future – could only muster one point from his four games in charge.

A solitary draw against Newcastle was accompanied by defeats to Manchester City, West Ham and Tottenham and in total, they failed to win any of their final nine games of the season.

He wasn’t expected to stay at Elland Road but held discussions with CEO Angus Kinnear (left)

Leeds picked up just one point from Allardyce’s four games in charge as they were relegated 

The club had turned to the former Bolton, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Blackburn, West Brom and Sunderland boss as a last throw of the dice after dismissing interim manager Javi Gracia following a 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth at the end of April. 

Gracia had spent just over two months in the role, having replaced Jesse Marsch, meaning Allardyce was Leeds’ third boss of the season. 

Mail Sport had previously reported how the 68-year-old was shocked at the Leeds players’ inability to put up a fight in the relegation battle.

The talks with Kinnear were expected to be more of a debrief about his time in charge rather than a pitch for the job, with his departure not unexpected.

Mail Sport understands he was set to tell the club that the playing squad needs a complete overhaul. 

Kinnear is expected to lead the search for a new manager as Leeds attempt to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt, while there is also further question marks over the make-up of the footballing operations of the club given director of football Victor Orta left earlier this month. 

Speaking after Leeds’ relegation was confirmed following Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Tottenham, Allardyce had slammed the mistakes of the players.

He said: ‘It was professional suicide. You prepare for a game, but when you play how we do in a game in those moments and the errors are huge errors. We messed up again, tried to fight back and messed up again in a big way.

‘It says it all about Leeds this season. More goals conceded than anyone else. We’ve scored goals but without stopping the goals going in we couldn’t pick up the points. I wanted to go out with some pride today, but unfortunately I didn’t see that.

‘It has been a saga for the club. I am sad the club is getting relegated after working so hard to get back up. The rebuild has to be something that is particularly well planned by everybody at the club for next season.’

When questioned on whether he would remain at the club, Allardyce added: ‘Well, I don’t know. I can only come to that decision if they want me and also on what is the outlook of the club going to look like? What is the strategy of the club and which direction do you want to go?

It was a difficult season for the club and their supporters as they went through three managers

Allardyce’s departure comes amid uncertainty over the club’s ownership with Andrea Radrizzani (pictured) waiting to see whether the proposed takeover by the San Francisco 49ers will go through 

‘If all that aligns and works for the club and for me, then we will see.’

However, he won’t be part of Leeds’ attempts to return to the top flight as uncertainty continues to encapsulate the club on and off the pitch.

With Leeds now facing at least a season in the Championship, the proposed takeover by the San Francisco 49ers franchise is up in the air and it is unlikely the club will be able to make a managerial appointment until that process is resolved. 

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani – currently in Italy – hopes to discover whether the 49ers wish to buy him out or merely retain their current 44 per cent shareholding by the end of the week.

The ownership of the club was thrown into the spotlight again on Thursday, with Radrizanni reportedly offering Elland Road as security for a £26m loan so he could buy crisis-hit Italian club Sampdoria, infuriating fans just days after their relegation was confirmed.