LeedsUtd 28/8/06
Eirik Bakke Leaving Leeds United for Premiership
"I won't be Bakke!"
27th Aug, 2006 :: by Autolycus
Eirik Bakke is being lined up for a transfer deadline-busting Premiership move. The Norwegian international is fit but was deliberately left out of the Leeds United team to face Sheffield Wednesday this lunchtime.
Leeds' manager Kevin Blackwell admitted before the match at Hillsborough that Eirik was not playing because of transfer interest in him and that they couldn't risk him being injured. Bakke has an appalling injury record and has played only a handful of games for the Whites in the last three seasons.
He is also on Peter 'Numpty' Ridsdale-inspired wages of £23,000 per week and Leeds are so desperate to off-load him that any Premiership club can have him without a fee. Bakke spent the early part of last season playing under old manager David O'Leary at Aston Villa. Villa are now under new management at the board level and have funds available, they also have a new manager in Martin O'Neilll who is known to want to strengthen his squad.
However, because of the wages level involved and the potential free transfer it is thought that teams including Bolton Wanderers, Portsmouth, Fulham, Wigan and Reading are likely to be the teams willing to take on the midfielder. David Moyes at Everton is understood to be keeping an eye on the Bakke move. Although a fine player few Leeds fans will shed a tear at losing a player still bleeding the club dry of money and whose long absences through injury were exacerbated through the player ignoring the medical advice of Leeds staff and playing in close season international friendlies. So frustrated by this were Leeds United that they threatened to sue the Norwegian FA.

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