2014-10-22 17:49#196830 Zed : Ouch, that's a lot of goals you're gonna miss when Ross goes away, but I'm sure you'll sign a great replacement!

Well, we'll see who comes in Thanks for following

McCORMACK DOES NOT TRAVEL TO ITALY FOR PRE-SEASON
Star Leeds striker does not travel on the club's pre-season tour to Italy...


Leeds United striker Ross McCormack appears to have not travelled with the rest of the Leeds squad to their pre-season training camp in Italy, BBC Radio Leeds reporter Adam Pope wrote on his official Twitter account.

The Yorkshire Evening Post this morning is reporting the club have refused to comment on suggestions that McCormack has asked to leave.

Ross McCormack appears to not have travelled with the rest of the Leeds squad to the training camp in Italy

Rumours were circling on Saturday that the Scotland international has told the Leeds owner Massimo Cellino that he wants to quit the club following a face-to-face meeting last week.


McCormack has been subject of intensive transfer speculation since the end of last season with Fulham and Norwich City reported to have made bids earlier this month.

If he was to leave Elland Road for Carrow Road, he would be linked up once again with old Leeds team-mates Bradley Johnson, Jonny Howson, Luciano Becchio and fellow Scottish international Robert Snodgrass.


West Ham United are also believed to be still interested despite being rebuffed in January and Newcastle United have also been linked with the 27-year-old.

Well, I think we know McCormack is on his way out!
Wonder who you will get in as a replacement?

Well, that spells the end of McCormack at Leeds I guess! Hopefully you'll sign a good, young replacement!

He's surely going for a big fee? Hopefully the money you bring in will go towards a few good players

Leeds United's Scotland international striker Ross McCormack has joined Championship rivals Fulham for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £11m.

McCormack has signed a four-year contract with the Cottagers, with the option of a further 12 months.

The 27-year-old told BBC Radio Leeds he felt he had been "hung out to dry" over the move.
Leeds said last week they were under no pressure to sell their captain after he handed in a transfer request.

McCormack was last season's top scorer in the Championship, netting 28 goals as Leeds finished 16th.

He said the Elland Road club would "always have a special place in my heart" but was "no longer the Leeds United I fell in love with".


The Glaswegian forward started his career at Rangers, before spells at Motherwell and Cardiff City prior to his switch to Leeds in 2010.

McCormack has been capped 11 times by Scotland and has scored twice for his country.


He is Fulham's fifth summer signing following their relegation last season after a 13-year stay in the Premier League.


Cottagers manager Felix Magath has already recruited former Schalke defender Tim Hoogland, Australia striker Adam Taggart, defender Kay Voser from Basel and Motherwell defender Shaun Hutchinson.

nice start m8 ! keep it up

Pompeyblue: We'll see who we bring in

Zed: Keep reading and you'll see

Aaron: Call £11m a good fee?

JackKnifeRoy: Cheers mate, support is appreciated

Leeds United have released seven senior players and six youth team players including veteran midfielder Michael Brown.


Danny Pugh, El-Hadji Diouf, Adam Drury, Paul Green, Luke Varney and Jamie Ashdown have also left Elland Road.

New owner Massimo Cellino has pledged to "make the club healthy" by making financial cuts, and BBC Radio Leeds reports the released list could save £3m from the club's annual wage bill.

Along with the senior players are six youth team players which include former Southampton academy winger Gboly Ariyibi, Simon Lenighan, Nathan Turner, Lewis Turner, Richard Bryan and Smith Tiesse

Despite these players being released, Cameron Stewart, who was on loan to The Whites from January until May had an agreement with his parent club Hull City to join Leeds on a permanent deal at the end of the season. The deal is set to go through on 1st of July but owner Massimo Cellino is working with Hull to cancel the permanent deal.


Another future in doubt for the Whites is goalkeeper Paddy Kenny who returned to training well over-weight. He was spotted in an infamous social media vine that showed the thirty-six year old keeper as if he had eaten sixty pies during his holiday. Cellino is also working with him to come to a mutual agreement that means the 'keeper ends his contract early.

Leeds United have completed the signings of both Italian midfielder Tommaso Bianchi and goalkeeper Marco Silvestri from Serie A sides Sassuolo and Chievo Verona.

Tommaso Bianchi

Central Midfielder

The 25-year-old, who is a former Italy Under-21, arrives at Elland Road having signed a four year deal with the club after Leeds and Sassuolo agreed an undisclosed fee for the midfielder.

During his time with Sassuolo the midfielder achieved promotion to Serie A after the side won Serie B at the end of the 2013-14 season.


Bianchi’s former clubs also include Piacenza and Modena, he also appeared for the Italy Under-19s and Under-20s.

The midfielder is United’s second signing of the summer following the arrival of English goalkeeper Stuart Taylor earlier in the transfer window.

United head coach David Hockaday said: “Tommaso can play on the left, on the right, in the number 10 role and he can score goals.

"In the last three seasons he has been involved in teams pushing for promotion. He was twice been beaten in the Play-Offs but more importantly he won automatic promotion into Serie A. So the last three seasons have been positive for Tommaso and we need players in the right mindset to move up the league.

"He is hungry, young and he is everything that we are about. He has a great technic and he is another player that we delighted to welcome to Elland Road." The manager continued.

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

The 23-year-old arrives at Elland Road having signed a four year deal with the club after agreeing a £450,000 move from Chievo to come to Elland Road.

Silvestri, who is a former Italy Under-20 and Under-21, started his career at Modena in Serie B and in 2010 he made the step-up to Serie A with Cheivo.

While at the Serie A side the goalkeeper had loan spells at Reggiana, Padova and most recently at Cagliari this past season.


The goalkeeper is United’s third signing of the summer after fellow keeper Stuart Taylor and midfielder put pen to paper at the Elland Road side.

United head coach David Hockaday said: “Everybody in Italy believes that Marco is destined for very big things. We are delighted to welcome him to Leeds.

“He has been training with us for a week now and he has impressed everybody. Not only with his quality on the park but with his general manner off it as well.

“So are we delighted to welcome a very good person and footballer to Leeds United.”

Great start, concise as since it is a Leeds story i'm already hooked!

Good luck, i'll be following

Good luck bud, Leeds are a good challenged, I'll be following

Ziechael: It's nice to have a fan of Leeds (like me) following this as you understand most of what is going on more Cheers mate

AaronHJFT96: Thanks Aaron

Gaetano Berardi completed his move to Leeds United from Sampdoria yesterday as the Elland Road club took their tally of summer signings to five.

Right-back Berardi – a 25-year-old Switzerland international – sealed his transfer to Leeds late last night after taking part in a training session with United’s squad at Thorp Arch earlier in the week.

Leeds had been working to finalise his sale from Sampdoria for much of the past fortnight and Berardi flew into England on Thursday as his transfer edged towards completion.

His move was announced by Sampdoria first, although Leeds confirmed it officially a few days later.

Reports in Italy said Berardi would sign on a two-year contract with the option of a third year when his initial deal expires in 2016.

The versatile defender, who can play on either flank, becomes Leeds’ fourth new addition this summer, following Stuart Taylor, Marco Silvestri and Tommaso Bianchi to Elland Road.

Speaking about Berardi earlier this week, United owner Massimo Cellino said: “He’s a good guy.

“I’m offering less money than Sampdoria, he’s playing in Serie A and played 150 times in Serie A, and he’s a national team player but he’s wants to come.

“The agent of Berardi is a good friend of mine. He (Berardi) said he wanted to go to Cellino in England. I said ‘how much do you want?’ and offered less. If you’re good, you’ll get a bonus. You have to show me that you want to come here, not for money.

“When you sign players, you can always raise the wage. You can never lower the wage. So if you trust yourself then trust me. I’m not going to take advantage.”


A statement from Sampdoria read: “Sampdoria announces that the club have sold outright to Leeds United the sporting rights of the player Gaetano Berardi.”

United, however, appear to have backed away from the option of adding English left-back Andre Blackman to their squad on a permanent basis after training with the team for several weeks, a signing picked by manager David Hockaday which failed to materialise.


But the 23-year-old did not attend Thorp Arch for training for a while and looks unlikely to land a permanent contract at the Elland Road side.

It's good, but it's not quite Braga