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There has been some movement on the transfer front at Elland Road, though nothing earth-shaking.

Firstly, Alan Sheehan has returned to Elland Road on a permanent deal from Leicester City. Although he is out of contract, the age of the Irish U-21 international means a fee is payable, and it will go to tribunal if no agreement is agreed.

Alan played ten times on loan at Leeds United last season but missed the play-offs due to a red card ban.

Leaving Elland Road for the last time is Leon Constantine - he has accepted a deal at fellow League One club, Northampton Town.

Constantine was Port Vale’s top scorer in the 2006-07 season and when he joined Dennis Wise he was earmarked for the starting place in the team - Beckford was returning from loan at Scunthorpe and at the time he was an unknown quantity in a Leeds shirt.

However, Leon was injured during the pre-season game against Energie Cottbus last year and injury plagued his remaining time at Leeds. Beckford made the most of the opportunity.

When Wise left Leeds the writing was on the wall and Constantine was loaned out to Oldham Athletic after recovering from the injuries. Constantine can fairly say that he wasn’t given a chance at Leeds with just 2 starts and 5 sub appearances during which he scored 2 goals.

But unlike Elding he has accepted the situation with grace and moved on - expect at least goal from him against Leeds next season!

Finally from La Belle France comes the news that Frenchman Seb Carole is training with La Havre with a view to making a permanent move.

Carole celebrates two years at Elland Road on Saturday but despite having much to offer he has made almost an equal number of starts as sub appearances - which indicates that neither Dennis Wise or Gary McAllister could make up their minds about how best to use him.

Given the lack of penetration and service to the strikers at Wembley many believe Carole still has something to offer Leeds but the player’s patience seems to have run out.

Sky Sports is claiming that Leeds United are lining up a move for former Bristol City striker Darren Byfield who is, unexpectedly, now a free agent.

Although fourth-placed Bristol City reached the Championship Play-off final at Wembley, defeat by Hull City means another season in the second tier and the reaction of the Ashton gate club has been to release their top scorer after just one season in the Robins shirt!

Admittedly, Byfield only netted eight times as top scorer last season and City may see that lack of goals in their squad as the reason they finished fourth instead of gaining automatic promotion, but the numbers do not point to Byfield being the weak link.

Byfield scored eight goals in 17 starts plus 16 subs; a former Leeds target Dele Adebola scored 6 in 16 starts and one sub appearance, McIndoe scored only 5 in 45 starts and Elliot got only 5 in 44 starts plus one sub; finally former Swansea City superstar, Lee Trundle, got just 5 in 21 starts plus 14 subs - and its Byfield who walks?

So the Jamaican international played his part in City’s promotion push and is available but will he move to Leeds? Swansea City and Doncaster Rovers have been linked to 31 year-old Byfield and notionally have the advantage of being in the Championship, however, football is about money - which means it is down to Leeds to say, in money terms, whether they want Byfield more than the others.

Is an eight goal-a-season striker good enough for Leeds United - over to you!

Despite a storming finish to the 2007-08 season with Leeds United and a Wembley appearance, former loanee Dougie Freedman has told The Croydon Advertiser that he has yet to speak to Crystal Palace Manager Neil Warnock to sort out his future since his return to Selhurst Park.

Such inexplicable treatment of a player who has reiterated his commitment to Palace on a number of occasions and is meant to be part of the coaching set-up at Palace only offers hope to the thousands of Leeds fans who saw the impact the 34 year-old Scotsman had on a stuttering team last season and who would like him to sign on permanently at Elland Road.

Dougie has made it clear that for family reasons he would like to see out the remaining 12 months on his Crystal Palace deal. But he also gave hope to Leeds fans when he made it crystal-(palace)-clear that if he doesn’t play he will walk.

“I’ve not spoken to Neil Warnock since the end of the season,” Freedman told The Croydon Advertiser.

“I’ve heard that there’s a meeting scheduled but I’ve not heard from the manager. As far as I know I’m still reporting for pre-season training on July 2.

“I want to stay at the club (Palace), that’s for sure.

“If the manager turns round to me and says he wants me to fight for my place then I will do that. But if he tells me that there’s no chance of me playing then I’ll have to look elsewhere.”

Apparently Neil Warnock needs to work on his man-management skills, but that’s not news, but Palace are selling tickets for Freedman’s testimonial so what is Freedman meant to read into that - a golden goodbye? (hopefully, from a Leeds UnIted perspective!)

Despite his age would Leeds fans want to see him in the side from the start next season?

Gary McAllister
Image via Wikipedia

Following their working lunch a week last Tuesday, Ken Bates indicated that he and Gary McAllister had discussed all the Gary’s transfer targets and that there would be no further comment until signings were made.

This has been the sensible stance taken by Ken since he took over Leeds and we have generally managed to avoid the media circus surrounding equally famous clubs.

However, with the pleasing exception of Jonny Howson signing a new contract there has been nothing concrete to report for eight days and Gary McAllister has come out to speak to the official Leeds United website to reassure Leeds fans that he and the club are indeed working hard to land the players they want but their approach is that of a poker player rather than a nutter on a shopping spree with someone else’s credit card.

“We’ve had thousands of names thrown at us from hundreds of agents and it’s a case of going through every proposition and looking at the players I think can make us better,” said Gary.

“Some of the players you have seen us linked with I have spoken to, and we’re looking at that calibre of player. It takes special players to come here who can play in front of a big crowd.

“We are looking at the other end of the scale as well for young players who can excite the crowd. We want to play an attacking style, and we’ll continue to look.

“Ideally you would like the players here knowing they are doing their pre-season here, but at the same time we’re not rushing in.

“It is quiet at the moment and it’s a case of being patient, but I am happy that we are moving along quite nicely with certain things.”

McAllister referred obliquely to the rumour that he is using his Anfield connections to bring two of their exciting, rising reserve players to Elland Road,

“We are looking at youngsters at Premiership clubs and making loads of enquiries.”

“The facilities here are that of a Premiership club and hopefully the players will realise they will play the proper way here.”

Finally Gary turned his attention to the on-off departure of Anthony Elding to Crewe Alexandra which only ended when Elding decided to stay and fight for his place at Leeds United; though he didn’t give Elding much room for hope,

“I’ve spoken with Anthony and like the majority I can’t guarantee him regular first team football. He wants to play, of course, and it may be that he finds that somewhere else, but while he’s here he is a Leeds player.”

So Gary’s message is be patient, we are looking to build for the medium term future as well as next season and we’ll let you know when we strike paydirt!

All of which is eminently reasonable if a little disappointing in terms of hard facts - but better than absolute silence!