Ridsdale doesn't rule out further signings

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale has not ruled out the possibility of completing further signings before this month’s transfer deadline, despite today reiterating the need to trim the size of the Elland Road squad.

But Leeds have quashed rumours Ian Harte is off to Barcelona.

New manager Terry Venables arrived at Leeds with instructions to make a £15m (€23.46m)summer profit and his first act was to sell Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United for £29.3m (€45.8m).

But he has since brought in Nick Barmby from Liverpool and Australian international Paul Okon, and Ridsdale has insisted cuts must now be made.

"I am still intent on reducing the size of the squad," he said.

"What I have always said is that we have too many players in the squad and until such time as we reduce the squad to a size that I think is acceptable, it is unlikely that we will bring in more players."

However, Leeds are intent on mounting a challenge for Champions League qualification and Ridsdale admitted further additions could be made quickly ahead of the August 31 cut-off date.

"We have just brought in two players recently and a lot depends on what we feel we need before the transfer deadline," he told the official Leeds website, www.lufc.com.

"Transfers can happen unexpectedly and other times it will just take longer than you think, but we’ll know where we stand by the end of the month."

One player not on his way out of Elland Road is Ian Harte after Leeds today quashed speculation that Barcelona had bid for the Republic of Ireland full-back.