Leeds keen to keep Viduka

Leeds insisted Mark Viduka is “not for sale” as Barclaycard Premiership clubs prepared for the transfer window to slam shut this evening.

The deadline for transfers involving Premiership clubs will pass at 5pm today - but Elland Road chairman John McKenzie claimed his club have no plans to allow the sought-after Australia international to leave.

Viduka, who was the subject of an unsuccessful loan bid by Inter Milan last week, appears to have patched up his difference of opinion with manager Peter Reid and scored the winner as Leeds won 3-2 at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

And McKenzie announced: “No-one has been in contact about Mark this weekend, and in any case he is not for sale.”

However, Leeds do hope to conduct further business in the transfer market today with out-of-favour Marseille forward Cyril Chapuis in Yorkshire with a view to following team-mate Salomon Olembe into Elland Road.

Olembe, the 22-year-old Cameroon international, has agreed a season-long loan deal and Leeds have first option to buy the player.