Soccer: O’Leary plans summer shopping spree

David O’Leary is hoping this summer’s transfer targets will be swayed by Leeds’ ambition - not whether the club is in the Champions League or UEFA Cup.

O’Leary again has cash to spend in the close season, despite the current deficit on his dealings during his two and a half years in charge standing at a staggering £48million.

Chairman Peter Ridsdale has promised to back O’Leary in the transfer market as the 43-year-old Irishman looks to sign the final few players he believes he needs to add to the squad to mount a sustained challenge to Manchester United for the Premier League title.

O’Leary is convinced that with another three or four players on board, and with a fully fit squad at the start of next season, United’s domination of the English game could come to an end.

It is that which O’Leary hopes will attract the likes of Frank Lampard and Kieron Dyer the two players being firmly linked to a move to Elland Road as the United boss remains determined to buy the best of British.

Champions League football for next season still beckons, but if Leeds fail to win either of their last two matches or Liverpool beat Charlton next week, then it will be the UEFA Cup.

O’Leary reckons that scenario will not come into play when it comes to new signings as he said: ‘‘I have a plan when it comes to buying players, those I know will improve and will go on to be worth a lot more money.

‘‘I will buy players who I think are right and at the right money. I won’t be governed by whether we are in the Champions League or the UEFA Cup.

‘‘I won’t be changing my targets even if we’re in the UEFA Cup, rather than the Champions League. My main aim is to be in contention in the league next season and so the players I buy will be for that.

‘‘I will nominate who I think is good for this club and for many years even after I may have gone.

‘‘I also don’t think it will make a difference which competition we are in next year when it comes to negotiating with players. That’s my view, although when you sit down with them they might say no.

‘‘But I just hope people will see the overall picture of where this club is going. Firstly, if we are in the UEFA Cup, then I think we will have a great chance of winning it.

‘‘And then with a bit of luck, with everybody right from the start, we will have a great chance of being in contention for the league with Manchester United next season.’’

O’Leary also has no qualms about any players who may want to leave if Leeds are in the UEFA Cup, given they will have sampled the delights of the Champions League.

O’Leary has always stated he has no desire to keep players who are unhappy, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink the prime example as the Chelsea striker held the club to ransom two years ago with his wage demands.

‘‘If we don’t get in the Champions League, I’m not going to worry about players wanting to go,’’ added O’Leary.

‘‘I’ve always had a policy of whoever wants to go, goes.

‘‘Whoever is not happy, and I work very hard behind the scenes on building togetherness, can go because nobody will ever be kept here if they are not happy. They will always go if I can get the right price.

‘‘I will never kiss anybody’s rear in getting them to stay. It’s not in my nature.

‘‘I am all for them and I think they are all for me, but I am a bad fella when it comes to kissing somebody’s rear. It doesn’t come gracefully pampering somebody week in and week out to stay. That’s not me.’’

Victory tomorrow will send the race for the final Champions League place down to the wire, with Liverpool and Ipswich also in the running.

Given Leeds were 14th just four months ago, O’Leary added: ‘‘If we had had our players from the start of the season, we would have nailed on third place by now.

‘‘Looking back to January, people would have had a party if they knew we would back in Europe via the Intertoto Cup. If we’d qualified for it then I think I would have got a new contract out of it!

‘‘But after the season we’ve had, it’s great to be in a position of having to win our last two home games to try and get back into the Champions League.’’

Striker Robbie Keane, who sustained an ankle injury in last Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Arsenal ending the club’s 13-match unbeaten league run has a chance of being fit to face Bradford, while David Batty serves the second of a three-game ban.