Leeds are set to lose two of their most influential players as the current board of the recently relegated Yorkshire club mulls another takeover.
Premiership side Everton announced on Thursday they intend to make a ”substantial offer” for striker Alan Smith, and defender Danny Mills could be allowed to leave on a free transfer.
Leeds this week revealed they had turned down two bids of £3,5-million and then £5,5-million from Manchester United for 23-year-old Smith, while Birmingham and Middlesbrough have also shown interest.
Smith’s preferred destination is believed to be Old Trafford, but Everton manager David Moyes on Thursday told Everton’s website: ”I can confirm that we are making a substantial offer for Alan Smith.”
Leeds appear set to give Mills a free transfer, although after completing a season-long loan deal at Middlesbrough, the 27-year-old is in no hurry to leave, particularly as he and his family are settled in Yorkshire.
Mills and his agent, Neil Featherby, met with Leeds managing director David Richmond and the club’s agent representative, Philip Morrison.
But it is expected that Leeds will grant Mills a free transfer as he is currently one of the highest-paid players on the Elland Road books.
Featherby said: ”We have had some talks with Leeds United in respect of Danny’s future and at this moment in time those talks are still ongoing.”
Boro are still in the running to sign Mills, for whom they had hoped to conclude a permanent deal during the January transfer window, but refused to pay Leeds’s £1-million asking price at that time.
Boro boss Steve McClaren is also interested in signing Leeds striker Mark Viduka but will face stiff competition from Newcastle, Manchester City and, in particular, Birmingham.
Meanwhile Leeds chairperson Gerald Krasner has confirmed the club are in talks with prospective new owner Steve Parkin, but that no deal has yet been done.
Local businessman Parkin is currently going through the process of due diligence as his accountants and advisers peruse the club’s financial records.
Parkin is understood to be edging closer to a takeover from Krasner and the current board, who only concluded their own £23-million buy-out of the club on March 19.
But Krasner insists a deal is not yet cut and dried, saying: ”Rumours are currently rife in the media that a deal with Steve Parkin has been signed. This is not the case.
”Yes, the board have spoken to him, as we have with several parties looking to invest in Leeds United, and I would like to reiterate that there is no ‘done deal’.
”Our number-one priority at the moment is to appoint a team manager who can get Leeds United back into the Premiership.”
Current caretaker-manager Kevin Blackwell was the first of a three-man shortlist to be interviewed on Wednesday, with Rotherham’s Ronnie Moore and Huddersfield Town manager Peter Jackson believed to the other candidates. — Sapa-AFP