Norwich Now Want Johnson

Norwich City are on the brink of signing released Leeds United midfielder Bradley Johnson.The former Northampton midfielder failed to negotiate a new deal at Elland Road despite several offers being made to him.
The Sun says Norwich are set to sign Johnson on a three-year deal.

The Premier League new-boys, Sunderland and West Brom were chasing the out-of-contract 24-year-old.

Johnson snubbed an offer at Elland Road for the chance to play top-flight football.

Bye Bye Bradley

BRADLEY JOHNSON appears set for a move to the Premier League after Leeds United confirmed the midfielder will be leaving Elland Road this summer.The 24-year-old will be out of contract next month after turning down a new deal towards the end of last year.Further negotiations have failed to find a breakthrough and Johnson’s agent has informed Leeds that the player plans to leave after receiving several offers.
According to his agent, two of those offers have come from Premier League sides – meaning Hull City, who first registered their interest in Johnson last November when they proposed a swap involving Caleb Folan going to Elland Road, are likely to be left frustrated in their attempts to sign the former Northampton man on a free transfer.West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City are believed to be the two Premier League clubs interested in Johnson.Leeds manager Simon Grayson said: “It is disappointing that it looks like Bradley won’t be re-signing. We felt we made the player a suitable offer.“I would like to thank Bradley for his contribution while I have been here, but the contractual situation that we work in nowadays means the players have the ability to make choices such as this.“This is a situation we wanted resolving as a club because we are looking to next season and planning ahead.

Johnson turns down new contract offer

Leeds United's midfielder Bradley Johnson is set to spark a Premier League transfer scramble.Johnson's deal expires next month and he has been watched by several Premier League club managers this season.

The Daily Mail says Johnson has just turned down a three-year deal, which leaves him free to quit Elland Road.The midfielder has been linked with Sunderland, Newcastle United,Stoke, Fulham and Wigan Athletic.
Leeds manager Simon Grayson speaking last week said: "We will sit down with him and his representatives  and see where we are. He got offered a contract at Christmas time, which he turned down and players are entitled to do that because of the Bosman rule.

"We will see where are, but if he leaves and other players leave in the same way, we will thank them for what they have done for the club and we will move on.

"I'd like to keep him. He's done well and can get better. He knows what he needs to do, but we are working within a budget in this club."
However, West Bromwich Albion boss Roy Hodgson is regarded as favourite to land Johnson when his deal expires next month.

Leeds 0 Reading 0

Leeds endured another stutter in their promotion campaign as they halted Reading's eight-game winning streak but failed to hit the target themselves.Keeper Alex McCarthy kept Reading in the game in the first half, saving well from Robert Snodgrass and Max Gradel.After the break, Leeds' Bradley Johnson rattled the bar and Mikele Leigertwood fired a shot off target for Reading.Gradel and Snodgrass tested McCarthy late on and Leeds' Sanchez Watt missed a great chance to win it at the death.The Yorkshire club had begun Good Friday in sixth place, the last of the play-off spots.But this Elland Road stalemate ensured they ended the day seventh, below play-off rivals Nottingham Forest - who beat Leicester 3-2 earlier in the day - on goal difference.Leeds just about edged the first half, having the two best chances, both of which were kept out by Reading's impressive keeper McCarthy.The first was a close-range header by Snodgrass, which McCarthy pushed wide, and the second was a swirling long-range shot by Gradel.

The England Under-21 keeper got enough of his body behind the ball to block the goalbound effort but will have been relieved to see it spin wide of the far post.Neil Kilkenny came on for Jake Livermore at the break and his introduction seemed to lift the whole Leeds team.They took the game to their visitors, forcing them onto the back foot whenever possible, harassing them and denying them time to think when they tried to go forward.Reading's Andy Griffin wasted a great chance when he cut in from the right and dummied Gradel, opening up space in the box, only to fire into the side netting when he would have been better off crossing.

Johnson then came closer than anyone else to finding the target when he ran from the half-way line and saw his shot off the outside of his boot rebound off the bar with McCarthy well beaten.

The longer the game wore on, the greater the tension emanating from the Leeds team became, and Reading responded by going on the attack with more confidence.

Leigertwood should have done better when he was allowed to bear down on goal unchallenged, but his shot was off target and could only rattle the back stanchion.

Reading have become known as the Championship's late goal specialists, but it was the home side who came closer to scoring.

As in the first half, it was Gradel and Snodgrass who tried their luck, but again the impressive McCarthy was equal to the task.

In stoppage time a rare McCarthy misjudgement allowed substitute Watt a great chance to snatch a winner, but the on-loan Arsenal player lost his footing and skewed the ball wide of the target.

Kilkenny still waiting for Leeds United offer

Neil Kilkenny, whose contract at Leeds United expires in the summer, is still waiting for the club to offer him a new deal.

With Bradley Johnson already having turned down the club's 'final offer', two key midfielders could leave on Bosman free transfers in the summer.

Australian international midfielder Kilkenny, 25, cost £125,000 from Birmingham in January, 2008, and has made 137 first-team appearances.

He is currently away with his country's squad and United are reluctant to commit to a new deal until they know what division they will be playing in next term.

Kilkenny first announced his desire to stay at Leeds in December, a sentiment he repeated a month later, but he is still waiting.

The contracts of goalkeeper Shane Higgs, 33, and central defenders Patrick Kisnorbo, 30, and Richard Naylor, 34, are also due to run out in the summer. Higgs has spent most of the season on the substitutes' bench, kept out of the side by Kasper Schmeichel, while Kisnorbo is still in rehab after damaging his Achilles a year ago.

Naylor has been unable to recapture his regular first-team place since suffering a knee injury last October, though he made substitute appearances earlier this month against Doncaster and Preston.

The future of Honduras international Ramon Nunez is also in doubt.

He is currently on loan at Scunthorpe, having made just two substitute appearances for Leeds.

Nunez, 25, signed a short-term contract at the end of August after a month's trial.

The deal was extended to the end of this season with the club holding an option to keep him for an extra year.

Leeds v Doncaster :Pre-View

Midfielder Bradley Johnson will return from suspension for Leeds.Right-back Paul Connolly remains sidelined with a hamstring problem, while midfielder Lloyd Sam is struggling with a virus.
Doncaster are assessing the fitness of Billy Sharp, who recently returned to action after a groin problem.Jason Euell (knee) may miss out again but James Hayter (calf) could make a timely return, with James Coppinger and Ryan Mason also hoping to feature.

Sixth-placed Leeds are looking for their first win in four games and have conceded a total of eight goals in their last three outings, but they are strong at Elland Road.

Leeds are unbeaten in 11 home matches and remain the division's top scorers, having netted 62 of the whopping 117 goals their league matches this season have produced. That could be a worrying sign for Doncaster, who have conceded more Championship goals in 2011 than any other team.
Injury-hit Rovers have let in 25 since the turn of the year and this season have managed one clean sheet away from home, and one away win against a team outside of the bottom six.
But Doncaster head into this Yorkshire buoyed by an excellent 3-1 win at fellow strugglers Derby in midweek, which was their first victory in seven matches and eased their relegation fears.

Midfielder search still going on

Simon Grayson’s search for a midfielder was ongoing this morning with the Leeds United manager once again insisting that he would not allow his need for fresh blood to bring sub-standard players to Elland Road.
Grayson saw his attempts to pull of an emergency loan signing frustrated in the 48 hours after United’s 3-3 draw with Barnsley on Tuesday, but he refused to rule out the possibility of a new face appearing in tomorrow’s match at Swansea City.Leeds lost Bradley Johnson to a red card on Tuesday night and the 23-year-old will serve a one-game ban during this weekend’s Championship game in Wales.

His suspension created a hole in Grayson’s midfield and forced United’s manager to consider a move in the transfer market or a change of formation prior to tomorrow’s 12.45pm kick-off.Grayson cast his eye over Manchester City’s Michael Johnson during a reserve fixture between City and Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday evening but he revealed that a number of approaches for unnamed players had so far come to nothing.“We’ve made a few enquiries and, as we stand, nothing’s come off,” Grayson said. “It’s simply because clubs want to keep their best players.“I could sign an average player and make us no better but I’ve got players in the squad who are ready and desperate to step into the team, whatever system I play. Any signing needs to be a really good player and I’m prepared to wait for one to become available.”

Right-back Paul Connolly is Grayson’s major injury concern with a hamstring strain but United’s boss said the club were still to receive any contact from Manchester City over the possible recall of goalkeeper David Gonzalez.

City manager Robert Mancini indicated earlier this week that he would end Gonzalez’s loan at Elland Road in response to a shoulder injury suffered by Shay Given, but Grayson said: “He’s been training with us and Manchester City haven’t been on the phone.”

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