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SkyBet Championship: Oscar Garcia in talks with Leeds and Watford

Brighton Coach Oscar Garcia during the Sky Bet Championship match at the AMEX Stadium, Brighton who has now joined Watford..
Image: Oscar Garcia: In talks with at least two clubs

Former Brighton and Hove Albion manager Oscar Garcia is in talks with both Watford and Leeds United about their vacant manager’s jobs, according to Sky sources.

Garcia, who left the Amex after guiding the club to a play-off semi-final defeat against Derby last season, could make a return to the Sky Bet Championship following the resignation of Watford boss Beppe Sannino on Monday and after Dave Hockaday was relieved of his duties at Elland Road last Friday.

Sannino ended his spell in charge at Vicarage Road despite guiding the Hornets into second place in the Championship table after five games of the season.

The 57-year-old Italian, who only took charge of Watford on December 18th last year after previous managerial spells with several Italian clubs, left Watford just one point off early pace-setters Nottingham Forest.

Former Forest Green boss Hockaday, who was the surprise choice to replace Brian McDermott back in June, parted company with Leeds after just six games in charge this season, a spell which saw his side dumped out of the Capital One Cup by Bradford and lose three of their five Sky Bet Championship games. 

Current Preston manager Simon Grayson, who secured Leeds' promotion to the Championship during a four-year spell in charge at Elland Road before leaving in 2012, had also been listed among the candidates the replace Hockaday but he quickly dismissed talk of a return to his former club, branding them as "wide of the mark". 

The 41-year-old Garcia, who resigned from his coaching role at Macabbi Tel Aviv in June, is actively pursuing a new club and it is understood Garcia’s representatives are also talking to other clubs at this moment.

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