Yorkshire Evening Post 8/1/08
Beckford not for sale
By Richard Byram
LEEDS United have today insisted that star striker Jermaine Beckford is not for sale.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a £3m switch to Premier Division strugglers Derby County who are managed by former Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday boss Paul Jewell. Beckford is the leading scorer in League One with 15 goals to his credit so far this term and United boss Dennis Wise rewarded him for his efforts with a new improved three-year contract in October.
The London-born striker moved to United from non-league Wealdstone for just £50,000 in March 2006 and his sale would represent an enormous profit for the Whites. But with the financial problems which have dogged United in recent years no longer an issue, the club is under no pressure to sell its prized asset.
A United spokesman said: "Jermaine Beckford is not for sale. He is a key part of the club's progress on the pitch under Dennis Wise and there is no reason why he cannot reach his ambitions of playing at the highest level with Leeds United.
"It is an exciting time for the club and Jermaine is very much part of the future here."
Yorkshire Evening Post 8/1/08
United preparing to confirm winger's arrival
By Phil Hay
Leeds United were preparing to confirm their fourth signing of the transfer window today by finalising the arrival of Bradley Johnson from Northampton Town.
The 20-year-old was due to undergo a medical at Thorp Arch before putting pen to paper on his contract following successful negotiations with United. It is anticipated that Johnson will sign a three-and-a-half year deal.Leeds held preliminary talks with Johnson and his agent on Friday evening and, after spending the weekend considering the transfer from Sixfields to Elland Road, the winger has moved to accept United's offer.
Northampton will receive a fee in the region of £250,000 for Johnson, who was interesting as many as four other clubs and had already rejected a move to Colchester United, and the youngster's transfer will taken the number of signings secured by Leeds since the start of the month to four.
Stoke City midfielder Peter Sweeney has agreed terms with United and will finalise his move once he passes a medical.
Leeds are expected to pay a nominal amount for the 23-year-old, who was in Millwall's squad while Dennis Wise was in charge at the New Den between 2003 and 2005. He recently completed a loan spell with Walsall and should be eligible for next Monday's League One game against Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road.
Sebastian Sorsa has also linked up with Wise's squad on an 18-month deal after reaching the end of his contract with Finnish club HJK Helsinki, while Neil Kilkenny's emergency loan from Birmingham City was promptly converted into a permanent deal yesterday afternoon.
Kilkenny, who has cost United £150,000, agreed a temporary deal last week to allow him to play in Saturday's 3-0 win over Northampton, but he has signed a three-and-a-half year contact which will keep him at Elland Road until the summer of 2011.
Wise has repeatedly stressed the importance of signing players capable of building lengthy careers at Elland Road, and the deals handed to Kilkenny and Johnson have followed that strategy. Sweeney is also expected to receive a long-term agreement once he completes his medical.
But there is no room in Wise's squad for Dean Morgan, the Luton Town winger who looked set to join Leeds last week.
United had agreed a fee with Luton Town's administrators and were at the head of a line of three League One clubs interested in signing Morgan, but despite the ex-Reading player claiming that he expected to move to Elland Road, Leeds withdrew their offer around lunchtime yesterday.
Sources within the club were claiming on Friday that Morgan's wages might prevent a deal from being reached, and a statement released from Elland Road said United had been "unable to agree acceptable personal terms with the player's representatives".
The development has come as a blow to Luton, who were declared insolvent in November and are in desperate need of financial income. The Kenilworth Road side – managed by Kevin Blackwell - were expected to learn today whether a buyer for the club had emerged ahead of last night's 5pm deadline set by the administrators.
United, meanwhile, are still considering whether to launch a bid for Hull City's Damien Delaney, who was the subject of a failed offer from Colchester United last week.
Leeds are searching for cover for Rui Marques, who has flown out of England to link up with Angola's squad before the African Cup of Nations, and Wise's plan to sign Bolton's Lubomir Michalik – a former loanee at Elland Road – has so far come to nothing.
Hull boss Phil Brown appears ready to consider bids for Delaney, who was signed by City for £50,000 from Leicester in 2002. The Irishman has made more than 200 league appearances for Hull, however, and United would have to top the £450,000 bid which Colchester saw rejected last week.
But Wise may be creeping closer to the signing of Walsall left-back Daniel Fox, who has lodged an official transfer request at the Bescot Stadium.
Leeds have already offered £250,000 for the full-back, a sum which was immediately turned down by Walsall, but Fox is out of contract in the summer and has refused new terms presented to him by the club. Fox, 21, is keen to move to Elland Road, and his decision to demand a transfer has been seen as a deliberate attempt to force the issue. But Walsall are determined to retain him until the summer, when a tribunal would set the price of his departure, and sources in the West Midlands suggest interest among rivals clubs may drag Leeds into a bidding war if Wise seeks to secure Fox before the end of the month.
Leeds could still return to Wolves for permission to sign Jamie Clapham if their chase of Fox comes to nothing, while the Elland Road side are also understood to have cast on eye over young Rochdale left-back Tom Kennedy.
Beckford not for sale
By Richard Byram
LEEDS United have today insisted that star striker Jermaine Beckford is not for sale.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a £3m switch to Premier Division strugglers Derby County who are managed by former Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday boss Paul Jewell. Beckford is the leading scorer in League One with 15 goals to his credit so far this term and United boss Dennis Wise rewarded him for his efforts with a new improved three-year contract in October.
The London-born striker moved to United from non-league Wealdstone for just £50,000 in March 2006 and his sale would represent an enormous profit for the Whites. But with the financial problems which have dogged United in recent years no longer an issue, the club is under no pressure to sell its prized asset.
A United spokesman said: "Jermaine Beckford is not for sale. He is a key part of the club's progress on the pitch under Dennis Wise and there is no reason why he cannot reach his ambitions of playing at the highest level with Leeds United.
"It is an exciting time for the club and Jermaine is very much part of the future here."
Yorkshire Evening Post 8/1/08
United preparing to confirm winger's arrival
By Phil Hay
Leeds United were preparing to confirm their fourth signing of the transfer window today by finalising the arrival of Bradley Johnson from Northampton Town.
The 20-year-old was due to undergo a medical at Thorp Arch before putting pen to paper on his contract following successful negotiations with United. It is anticipated that Johnson will sign a three-and-a-half year deal.Leeds held preliminary talks with Johnson and his agent on Friday evening and, after spending the weekend considering the transfer from Sixfields to Elland Road, the winger has moved to accept United's offer.
Northampton will receive a fee in the region of £250,000 for Johnson, who was interesting as many as four other clubs and had already rejected a move to Colchester United, and the youngster's transfer will taken the number of signings secured by Leeds since the start of the month to four.
Stoke City midfielder Peter Sweeney has agreed terms with United and will finalise his move once he passes a medical.
Leeds are expected to pay a nominal amount for the 23-year-old, who was in Millwall's squad while Dennis Wise was in charge at the New Den between 2003 and 2005. He recently completed a loan spell with Walsall and should be eligible for next Monday's League One game against Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road.
Sebastian Sorsa has also linked up with Wise's squad on an 18-month deal after reaching the end of his contract with Finnish club HJK Helsinki, while Neil Kilkenny's emergency loan from Birmingham City was promptly converted into a permanent deal yesterday afternoon.
Kilkenny, who has cost United £150,000, agreed a temporary deal last week to allow him to play in Saturday's 3-0 win over Northampton, but he has signed a three-and-a-half year contact which will keep him at Elland Road until the summer of 2011.
Wise has repeatedly stressed the importance of signing players capable of building lengthy careers at Elland Road, and the deals handed to Kilkenny and Johnson have followed that strategy. Sweeney is also expected to receive a long-term agreement once he completes his medical.
But there is no room in Wise's squad for Dean Morgan, the Luton Town winger who looked set to join Leeds last week.
United had agreed a fee with Luton Town's administrators and were at the head of a line of three League One clubs interested in signing Morgan, but despite the ex-Reading player claiming that he expected to move to Elland Road, Leeds withdrew their offer around lunchtime yesterday.
Sources within the club were claiming on Friday that Morgan's wages might prevent a deal from being reached, and a statement released from Elland Road said United had been "unable to agree acceptable personal terms with the player's representatives".
The development has come as a blow to Luton, who were declared insolvent in November and are in desperate need of financial income. The Kenilworth Road side – managed by Kevin Blackwell - were expected to learn today whether a buyer for the club had emerged ahead of last night's 5pm deadline set by the administrators.
United, meanwhile, are still considering whether to launch a bid for Hull City's Damien Delaney, who was the subject of a failed offer from Colchester United last week.
Leeds are searching for cover for Rui Marques, who has flown out of England to link up with Angola's squad before the African Cup of Nations, and Wise's plan to sign Bolton's Lubomir Michalik – a former loanee at Elland Road – has so far come to nothing.
Hull boss Phil Brown appears ready to consider bids for Delaney, who was signed by City for £50,000 from Leicester in 2002. The Irishman has made more than 200 league appearances for Hull, however, and United would have to top the £450,000 bid which Colchester saw rejected last week.
But Wise may be creeping closer to the signing of Walsall left-back Daniel Fox, who has lodged an official transfer request at the Bescot Stadium.
Leeds have already offered £250,000 for the full-back, a sum which was immediately turned down by Walsall, but Fox is out of contract in the summer and has refused new terms presented to him by the club. Fox, 21, is keen to move to Elland Road, and his decision to demand a transfer has been seen as a deliberate attempt to force the issue. But Walsall are determined to retain him until the summer, when a tribunal would set the price of his departure, and sources in the West Midlands suggest interest among rivals clubs may drag Leeds into a bidding war if Wise seeks to secure Fox before the end of the month.
Leeds could still return to Wolves for permission to sign Jamie Clapham if their chase of Fox comes to nothing, while the Elland Road side are also understood to have cast on eye over young Rochdale left-back Tom Kennedy.