Vultures hover as Leeds balance books

LEEDS manager Terry Venables is demanding greater stability from the club as his hopes for future solid foundations are continually undermined.

Robbie Fowler may appear to be staying at Elland Road for the time being following last week’s rejection of a £7m move to Manchester City.

However, the vultures are continuing to hover, with Jonathan Woodgate and Seth Johnson the current targets.

Venables has already stated he would be deeply upset if Woodgate were to be sold to Newcastle, who are already understood to have had one £9m bid rejected, and whose interest remains undiminished despite the centre back’s recent thigh injury.

Johnson meanwhile, is Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren’s number one target, yet by all accounts the Teessiders do not appear to have the £4m needed to prise the midfielder away from Leeds.

The club remain desperate for the cash, not only to help fund their deal for Brazil midfielder Kleberson, but also to appease their bank which is demanding further inroads to the £77m debt revealed last July.

This is despite the £37m since raked in from the sales of Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Keane. It is believed, following talks last week with Atletico Paranaense, where Kleberson is the star player, Leeds need to increase their offer by £350,000 to £3.75m to secure the World Cup winner’s signature.

But so poor are the finances at Leeds, Venables’ bid for a balanced squad which can achieve things as he concedes he is already planning for next season, is under severe threat.

The need to strengthen is overshadowed by the need to further balance the books, as Venables said: “This season we have been letting quality players leave the club.

“It’s a position created by a market that saw both transfer fees and wages greatly inflated and there is no doubt that, over the next couple of years, we have to bring down the wage bill. “We must work within our means. We don’t want to gamble money on the hope of getting back into the Champions League if it means being up against it should we miss out.

“We need to know we can afford what we are spending and that it is sustainable. If we can’t splash out on big-money players, we have to do it a different way. “We may have to accept that we may not achieve Champions League football every season, but then this club knows better than most that even spending big money doesn’t guarantee you that place.

“The important thing is that we put down a solid foundation and make real progress that can go on for a number of years.” Leeds’ third-choice Australian goalkeeper Danny Milosevic has joined Crewe on a month’s loan.