Yorkshire Evening Post 31/7/08
Leeds United land Becchio
Leeds United have completed the signing of Argentinian striker Luciano Becchio on a three-year deal.
The former Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Real Mallorca player completed a free transfer from Spanish club Merida UD this afternoon after Leeds secured his international clearance.Becchio scored 28 goals in 50 appearance for Merida last season and becomes United's fifth summer signing.
Yorkshire Evening Post 31/7/08
Leeds United's deal for Bothroyd flounders
By Phil Hay
Leeds United are set to abandon their chase of Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jay Bothroyd.
The League One club appear resigned to missing out on the 26-year-old after failing to persuade him to take up their offer of a summer transfer to Elland Road.
United bid successfully for Bothroyd earlier this month, meeting Wolves' valuation of a player who has a year left on his contract at Molineux, but Bothroyd is understood to have rejected the option of joining Gary McAllister's squad.
Leeds, who were today on the verge of signing Argentine forward Luciano Becchio, have had minimal contact with Bothroyd since their offer was accepted by the board at Molineux, and the Yorkshire club have been disappointed by the striker's apparent reluctance to commit himself to a move.
Bothroyd, whose career began as a trainee with Arsenal and has taken him to Blackburn Rovers and Perugia, is not thought to favour a drop into League One, and a transfer to Elland Road would require him to accept a wage cut. His contract at Wolves is worth in the region of £8,000 a week.
United's bid for Bothroyd was structured to rise to around £300,000 depending on appearances, and Wolves are keen to remove the forward from their wage bill this summer, but he appears increasingly likely to begin the new season at Molineux despite being on the periphery of Mick McCarthy's squad.
The Wanderers manager has already informed Bothroyd that he will play no part for the club's first team next term, and the Championship side will continue to listen to offers for a player who has scored 12 goals in 55 appearances for Wolves.
McAllister and Bothroyd worked together at Coventry City and United's manager was keen to renew their relationship this summer, but Leeds are turning to alternative options with their bid for Bothroyd at a standstill.
One signing which could be completed today is that of Becchio, whose transfer from Spanish club Merida to Elland Road is in its final throes.
Becchio spent yesterday searching for accommodation in West Yorkshire, and the deal will be completed once United receive international clearance for the 24-year-old forward.
The ex-Barcelona player missed Tuesday's friendly against Darlington but could return to McAllister's squad against FCV Dender at Elland Road on Saturday, and United have worked to tie up the transfer quickly ahead of the first game of the new season on August 9.
Becchio's permanent arrival will increase the number of experienced strikers available to McAllister to five – adding him to a pool which already includes Jermaine Beckford, Enoch Showunmi, Robert Snodgrass and Tresor Kandol – and United's failure to capture Bothroyd is unlikely to trouble their manager unduly.
McAllister, above, is still keen to recruit one additional forward, with Crystal Palace's Dougie Freedman again in the frame, but the Leeds boss said: "As we weigh up the pros and cons of (signing Freedman) there are others on my mind as well.
"On the other side of things there are two or three who might be going the other way."
Leeds United land Becchio
Leeds United have completed the signing of Argentinian striker Luciano Becchio on a three-year deal.
The former Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Real Mallorca player completed a free transfer from Spanish club Merida UD this afternoon after Leeds secured his international clearance.Becchio scored 28 goals in 50 appearance for Merida last season and becomes United's fifth summer signing.
Yorkshire Evening Post 31/7/08
Leeds United's deal for Bothroyd flounders
By Phil Hay
Leeds United are set to abandon their chase of Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jay Bothroyd.
The League One club appear resigned to missing out on the 26-year-old after failing to persuade him to take up their offer of a summer transfer to Elland Road.
United bid successfully for Bothroyd earlier this month, meeting Wolves' valuation of a player who has a year left on his contract at Molineux, but Bothroyd is understood to have rejected the option of joining Gary McAllister's squad.
Leeds, who were today on the verge of signing Argentine forward Luciano Becchio, have had minimal contact with Bothroyd since their offer was accepted by the board at Molineux, and the Yorkshire club have been disappointed by the striker's apparent reluctance to commit himself to a move.
Bothroyd, whose career began as a trainee with Arsenal and has taken him to Blackburn Rovers and Perugia, is not thought to favour a drop into League One, and a transfer to Elland Road would require him to accept a wage cut. His contract at Wolves is worth in the region of £8,000 a week.
United's bid for Bothroyd was structured to rise to around £300,000 depending on appearances, and Wolves are keen to remove the forward from their wage bill this summer, but he appears increasingly likely to begin the new season at Molineux despite being on the periphery of Mick McCarthy's squad.
The Wanderers manager has already informed Bothroyd that he will play no part for the club's first team next term, and the Championship side will continue to listen to offers for a player who has scored 12 goals in 55 appearances for Wolves.
McAllister and Bothroyd worked together at Coventry City and United's manager was keen to renew their relationship this summer, but Leeds are turning to alternative options with their bid for Bothroyd at a standstill.
One signing which could be completed today is that of Becchio, whose transfer from Spanish club Merida to Elland Road is in its final throes.
Becchio spent yesterday searching for accommodation in West Yorkshire, and the deal will be completed once United receive international clearance for the 24-year-old forward.
The ex-Barcelona player missed Tuesday's friendly against Darlington but could return to McAllister's squad against FCV Dender at Elland Road on Saturday, and United have worked to tie up the transfer quickly ahead of the first game of the new season on August 9.
Becchio's permanent arrival will increase the number of experienced strikers available to McAllister to five – adding him to a pool which already includes Jermaine Beckford, Enoch Showunmi, Robert Snodgrass and Tresor Kandol – and United's failure to capture Bothroyd is unlikely to trouble their manager unduly.
McAllister, above, is still keen to recruit one additional forward, with Crystal Palace's Dougie Freedman again in the frame, but the Leeds boss said: "As we weigh up the pros and cons of (signing Freedman) there are others on my mind as well.
"On the other side of things there are two or three who might be going the other way."