Elding set to leave Elland Road - Nicky Maynard in?
Anthony Elding’s short-stay at Elland Road is set to come to an end this summer as Gary McAllister has said the striker is up for sale.
Leeds United will listen to offers in excess of £250,000 for the former Boston United and Stockport County player, who scored just one goal in nine appearances in the white shirt. In fairness to Elding though he was only given four starts, the rest being sub appearances.
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At Stockport County, in 13 months, he scored 24 league goals in 38 league starts and 7 sub appearances and it is surprising that McAllister isn’t prepared to give him a fair crack of he whip and it may be a decision he will regret if a late bid comes in for Jermaine Beckford in August. Elding doesn’t have to accept a move as he has a contract unitl 2010 as Macca may find he is “stuck” with him.
Elding has suffered the fate of being signed by a manager just as he leaves the club. Dennis Wise signed the prolific Elding from under the noses of Crewe back in January 2008 by gazumping their £200,000 fee which had already been agreed with Elding’s club, Stockport County.
Newly promoted Hereford United are said to have shown interest - Elding scored a penalty against them this season - but many League Two clubs have experienced what he can do against them and so it is just a question of price rather than whether or not he will have suitors.
Crewe are an obvious bidder but may not wish to increase their bid over their original offer to Stockport. However, there is a joker in the pack here as unconfirmed rumours that Leeds United want Crewe’s Nicky Maynard may play a role - a fee of around £500,000 was mentioned at the time for Nicky and Elding could be the makeweight in the deal.
Crewe’s assistant coach has said the club would not consider a bid of one million pounds for Maynard, but we can remember Terry Venables saying Jonathan Woodgate was going nowhere! Assistant coaches don’t decide transfer policy - club directors do - and coaches put up with it or leave!
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This is Crewe Alexandra we are talking about - they have created some of the best players England have had (plus Seth Johnson) in recent years - and sold them - it’s what Crewe does to survive - and it does it well. The great Dario Gradi (now Crewe’s Technical Director) knows that all too well but it seems his coaching successors have not quite got the message.
Nicky Maynard has scored 35 goals in 67 appearances in all competitions for Crewe Alexandra, including 15 goals in 27 appearances last season. However, Maynard is only 21 years old and McAllister’s confirmed targets suggest he is looking to bring in an older, more experienced striker to work with the talented youngsters he already has - just as Freedman did so successfully last season. But if Beckford is whisked away by a late bid don’t rule out an eleventh hour offer for Maynard.
Quite an ignorant article this, Neil Baker (our assistant manager) has been at the club, working very closely with Dario since the early 90s as assistant manager. He knows what he’s talking about, and our directors hace never sold a player behind our manager’s back, and I like to think that they never will do. Trust me, Maynard will not be sold on the cheap this summer.
Unfortunately I don’t see us signing Maynard. He’s been linked with Premiership sides, let alone Championship sides and unfortunately I don’t see League 1 appealing to him.
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