KEN BATES: Statement on Takeover

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has confirmed that negotiations surrounding potential investment in the club are at an "advanced stage." Speaking publicly about the ongoing investment talks surrounding the club the Leeds chairman confirmed that both parties are working towards concluding the deal "as soon as possible." "We're well advanced with discussions," said the United chairman, speaking exclusively to LUTV ahead of Saturday's Elland Road meeting with Nottingham Forest. "There's a number of finer points to be resolved, but we're making good progress. "We had four of the top people over here for a big meeting on Friday and they are at our game on Saturday. "The potential investors are looking to conclude things as soon as possible. Both parties regret missing the August transfer deadline, but we are planning for the January transfer window." In the absence of any firm statements regarding updates on the situation speculation has abounded, but the United chairman said: "The confidentiality agreements that were put in place are very important to the investors. "They are a banking institution and a Public Company and not only can speculation affect their share price, they are also governed by heavy banking regulations. They also have interests across the Gulf, Asia, and Africa. "They are using London lawyers and there has been some logistical issues, but we have discussed things at length and agreed that we can make certain things public. "Since we signed the agreement in June - and told people what we had done - there has been a lot of speculation and agitation, especially by the Leeds United Supporters Trust, and I have to tell people that a lot of the statements that have come out are inaccurate."

Ken Bates Confirms Leeds United takeover is ongoing

According to Leeds United Chairman Ken Bates the much vaunted takeover of the club is still ongoing and progressing slowly.Bates this evening said: "Despite the confidentiality agreement, stories keep appearing with varying degrees of accuracy as evidenced by the statements put out by LUST (Leeds United Supporters Trust)."That included a TV interview that said a deal was 'imminent'. It wasn't then and is progressing slowly now. In football everybody expects everything now - but the real world is different."Writing in the club programme ahead of tonight's clash with Hull, Bates added: "The current situation is that as I write, the appropriate documents have not been finalised between the lawyers." GFH Capital, who are working on the deal on behalf of a Middle Eastern consortium, have sent representatives to one of United's games this season but have not made any comment on the nature of the talks.

Leeds United Takeover

According to reports the proposed Leeds United takeover is in  danger of collapsing,Glory Glory Leeds United has learned from a well placed Middle Eastern source that the consortium involved in the takeover are on the brink of "pulling the plug" on the deal.Contrary to recent press reports we have been informed that several key meetings between the two parties have not taken place and negotiations seemed to have stalled.Leeds fans wishing to see the back of the Ken Bates era will be bitterly disappointed.The takeover appeared to be on the brink of collapse four weeks ago before negotiations resumed in attempted to revived the process.The identity of the buyers has never been revealed despite rumours that a member of Bahrain’s ruling family, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, is one of the individuals behind the approach made to Bates in May.

Warnock set to quit Leeds in row over transfer funds?

Reports emerging overnight in one National newspaper suggest Neil Warnock’s future at Leeds is in doubt over problems with his transfer kitty.Warnock came back from holiday to find that none of his targets have been landed and may even quit if chairman Ken Bates does not deliver the promised cash.The straight-talking manager claimed he had been offered a budget to give Leeds a shot at winning promotion to the Premier League when he joined in February, but the reality has been different.Warnock teed up a handful of moves before leaving on his summer break, and many of those targets have now gone elsewhere - or stayed at their clubs.

Sources close to the 63-year-old claim he is ready to resign if there is no immediate progress.

Leeds United Set for Takeover?

Reports emerging this morning indicate that Leeds United are on the verge of a change of ownership.Chairman Ken Bates is believed to have received two offers for the club. One which is rumoured to be at an advanced stage is from a Canadian based sports company,that company is believed to be Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd(MLSE)who amongst other assets own the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and Toronto F.C of Major League Soccer along with three TV channels,The company is valued at around 1.5 Billion dollar's(Canadian) and in the past stated their intention to purchase an English Premier League team.At this time the identity of the second offer remains a mystery.

Snodgrass Unhappy with Bates

Leeds United captain Robert Snodgrass has had a dig at Chairman Ken Bates over his ongoing contract negotiations.The Elland Road club face another season in the Championship after finishing well off the pace in 14th position, and Snodgrass makes no secret of his desire to play in the Premier League. Snodgrass has been offered improved terms to remain at the club, but is not willing to sign if the club are unable to match his ambition.He said: 'I'd love to get into the Premier League with Leeds. I'm captain now which is a different challenge.'The chairman is trying to put a bit of pressure on me and he's telling me what plans he has for the club.'But they told me the same type of plans the season before and it didn’t work out so it's hard to buy into these things again.'Leeds boss Neil Warnock has promised the Scot can leave Elland Road next summer if they fail to seal a return to the Premier League.But Snodgrass will not allow his boss's comments to affect his decision as the 63-year-old is only contracted until the end of next season.'He has already said he won’t be sticking around much longer. Who knows whether he has one or two more years left at Leeds?'It's all right for him to say he could get me a move but if he leaves the people above him in the football club are not going to worry about what he said.
'My future doesn’t lie in the hands of Neil Warnock, it's in the hands of Robert Snodgrass.'

Warnock has top-flight ambition - Bates

Chairman Ken Bates is confident Neil Warnock can fulfil his ambitions at Leeds.Warnock, sacked by Barclays Premier League side QPR in January, took over the hotseat at Elland Road on Saturday following the sacking of Simon Grayson.And Bates has revealed Warnock, who is in charge until the end of the season, is determined to win promotion and resume unfinished business in the top flight."Neil was on his way to Wolverhampton to be interviewed when I spoke to him and he was on the plane the next morning with Shaun and we met in Monaco," he told Yorkshire Radio."We had a long session and Neil wasn't particularly motivated by money. He has an ambition in that he has won promotion seven times and he wants to be one of the few managers to make it eight.
"In the way the game is going it will be difficult to do that. His ambition is to take Leeds into the Premier League."

Warnock Set for Leeds

Neil Warnock is ready to return to management, with Championship side Leeds United understood to be his likely destination.The 63-year-old is a free agent after losing his job at Queens Park Rangers last month and has been linked with the vacancies at Wolverhampton Wanderers and former club Huddersfield Town, both of whom parted company with their managers.But Elland Road seems to be Warnock's next home, with United owner Ken Bates looking to fill the gap created by Simon Grayson`s departure on February 1.

Warnock was photographed meeting Bates and Leeds chief executive Shaun Harvey in Bates's home city of Monaco and it rumoured he has been interviewed for the post.Writing in his column in the Independent, Warnock admitted he is ready to return to the dugout."It's been an interesting week," he said."There are possibilities cropping up that may offer the chance to get back into the game and I have to admit they whet my appetite."There are good clubs looking for a manager - my old club Huddersfield, one of the top six clubs in England in Leeds, as well as Premier League Wolves."All top clubs and each offers a different opportunity for the right person. I'm not writing anything off regarding taking a job on until the end of the season."

Ken Bates Snubs Eriksson

Ken Bates has told Sven Goran Eriksson to forget about being Leeds boss.Eriksson wants a return to management after leaving Leicester and has applied for the post at Elland Road.But Leeds owner and chairman Bates told the former England boss he will not be considered.Bates said: “We have been inundated with applications, from the cheeky to the outlandish. We have had Sven Goran Eriksson apply, but he won’t be coming.“We are in no hurry because the next one is a big appointment, not necessarily in name, but for the future of Leeds United.”Neil Warnock and Roberto Di Matteo remain favourites to succeed Simon Grayson, who was sacked last week.Bates has drawn up a shortlist and is expected to hold talks with his targets within the next week.But he confirmed that caretaker boss Neil Redfearn will remain in charge for the next three games.

Bates Blames Becchio For Injury Lay Off

Ken Bates says Luciano Becchio has accepted responsibility for his bit-part contribution to Leeds United’s season after failing to undergo surgery as planned seven months ago.The United chairman laid the blame for the delayed operation on Becchio’s injured hamstring at the door of the Argentinian forward who has scored twice and started only a handful of games since making his comeback in September.Becchio suffered his hamstring problem towards the end of April and was scheduled to have surgery the following month after United’s narrow failure to qualify for the Championship play-offs.The striker travelled to Spain during the summer but did not go under the knife, and Leeds were forced to send him for an operation towards the end of July after Becchio broke down in the early stages of pre-season training. Most of his first-team appearances this term have come as a substitute.Bates said: “Becchio has only just come back on the scene. That’s his fault and he knows it.“He should have had his operation in May as he was told to and he didn’t. You can’t tie people down on the operating table, can you?“He now realises that he made a mistake and lost three months.“That’s a blow because he was our top-scorer last season.”

Manager Simon Grayson was unable to call on Becchio until Leeds’ 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on September 10 and the 27-year-old made his first league start in last month’s defeat to Barnsley at Elland Road.

O'Brien West Ham Bound?

West Ham could move for banished Leeds defender Andy O'Brien.The former Republic of Ireland star refused to play for the club last week after he had been heckled by fans.Elland Road boss Simon Grayson has said that O'Brien, 32, will now not play for the club again.And chairman Ken Bates said that as the player had refused to turn out he had effectively resigned from the club.Bates told the Yorkshire Post“The only reason Leeds United employ Andy O’Brien is to play football for us. Now, he won’t do that then clearly he no longer wants to work for Leeds United. The club are now dealing with the matter internally - but West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is an admirer of the former Newcastle and Bolton defender and sees his experience as useful to the Hammers' promotion drive.West Ham United were strongly linked with a loan move earlier this month. If Sam Allardyce is to make a move, however, he will have to do so quickly with this Thursday being the deadline for loan signings in the Football League.

Bates reveals Leeds "soul-searching"

Chairman Ken Bates believes Leeds should be higher up the table and revealed there has been some "soul-searching" behind the scenes at Elland Road.Leeds currently lie seventh, one point off the play-off places, after bouncing back from a 5-0 home defeat to Blackpool with a 1-0 win at Leicester in their last match.Bates told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "Well you have got to commend it, but you also have got to do soul-searching on why we have lost the games we've lost and why have we drawn the games we've drawn. And, without being too critical, the fact of the matter is we have lost games rather than be beaten."We have given away the points rather than them being earned by the opposition and that's something that we've had too much of and it's got to stop.
"There are discussions going on this week, heart-searching in the backroom to decide what we can do to improve the situation because we should be higher than we are."

Bates Expects Leeds to Challenge

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates believes that the side will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.Bates also had a little dig at some of those clubs gambling the cash in the hope of winning promotion from the championship.Speaking on Yorkshire Radio, Bates said, "There are a few clubs that have spent money, not always successfully as Nottingham Forest have illustrated, as have Bristol City for that matter.
"There are a few clubs that have spent money. There are three strong clubs that have come down from the Premiership, some of whom are struggling a bit."I think it is going to be a very open competition and hopefully, it will go on to the closing weeks as it makes it far more interesting for the fans but I think we will be there or thereabouts."Leeds have started to get into their stride in this seasons championship after a shaky start to the season.Having picked up only four points from a possible twelve from their opening four games, they have picked up ten points from the next four games.The defence is once again the main issue affecting Leeds this season, having conceded fifteen goals in eight games.They finally managed to keep their first clean sheet in all competitions this season, in last Saturday`s 1-0 win over Portsmouth at Elland RoadLeeds have gone into the international break this week in eleventh place. They also have a game in hand at Birmingham City due to the midland clubs involvement in the Europa League.

A win in that game would see Leeds sitting in fifth place in the championship.

Bates In Kilkenny Row

Ken Bates has threatened to report Neil Kilkenny to the FA as the row between the pair threatened to overshadow the build-up to Leeds' home Carling Cup clash tonight with old foes Manchester United.
Kilkenny, 25, left Leeds after failing to agree a new contract in the summer and scored for his new club Bristol City on his first return to Elland Road on Saturday. The Australia international ran gesturing towards the directors' box and blew kisses at Leeds chairman Bates and chief executive Shaun Harvey after he had scored.Kilkenny said after the game, which Leeds won 2-1, that his actions were inspired by having been ignored by Bates and Harvey before the game, as well as comments from Bates that he had joined "a smaller club".Bates last night responded: "He can't justify or excuse his behaviour. It shows exactly why we weren't sad to see him go. Neither myself or Shaun ever go down to see players on match days. Why would we? The fact is he asked for a wage which we didn't think he was worth. He's a petulant sod with big ideas of himself. We might report his behaviour to the FA because we've got CCTV footage of it."

Kilkenny, who made 144 Leeds appearances in three and a half years, had been angered by his treatment at the hands of "certain directors", as well as comments made by Bates last week during a radio interview.

Bates Dismisses West Ham Interest In Gradel

Leeds United winger Max Gradel has once again been linked with a possible summer exit after the player admitted that he was aware of interest from both Fulham and West Ham.The 23-year-old has attracted plenty of attention after a string of superb performances for the Championship side last season as Leeds just missed out on a place in the play-offs.Gradel scored 18 league goals last season for Leeds while also earning his first cap for the Ivory Coast and has subsequently been linked with a number of clubs.West Ham have  already approached Leeds about signing the tricky winger, but were told that he was not for sale.Leeds United chairman Ken Bates confirmed the winger is going nowhere.Bates confirmed that they had turned down a bid from fellow championship side West Ham, stating that the east end club couldn`t afford him.

Speaking yesterday on Yorkshire Radio, Bates said, "Max is not going anywhere and that is the end of the matter. We already had one offer and that was from West Ham. I think Max will have finished his career by the time they would have finished paying it. They haven`t got any money. Max is a very big part of our squad and he will continue to be so."

Leeds miss out on 'Big' Striker loan due to 'Poxy' Agent

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates says the club missed out on adding a new striker to the squad until January because of the greed of the players agent.Bates speaking on Yorkshire Radio explained the situation whilst refusing to name the player in question, "We had a big striker to bring in for the Bradford game. His club agreed to let him join on loan until Christmas, the player said he wanted to come and then his agent got busy.
"He intervened and said no, what he wanted to do was to try and get his club to pay the player off, because he was in the last year of his contract and sign for us for a year.
"We said no, we have done a deal with his club to loan the player until January and the player wanted to do it. His agent got greedy trying to get a pay off for his player, but we were only interested in signing him if he could play on Tuesday night and if he didn`t turn up on Tuesday with his boots he can forget it. Because of the agent`s greed the player did not come. We are not prepared to be blackmailed by some 'poxy` agent."

Leeds have just one fit first team striker at the club at the moment in Ross McCormack. Billy Paynter, Davide Somma and Luciano Becchio were all missing for the game with Bradford on Tuesday night with Leeds boss Simon Grayson naming just six substitutes, all-defensive.
Mike Grella is still at the club after being placed on the transfer list at the end of the season. The American has scored three times in two games in pre season but still was not part of the squad.

Bates:We cannot afford Smith

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has admitted there is little chance of their former player Alan Smith returning to Leeds on loan for next season, and this is what Bates said today to Yorkshire Radio:

“We were interested in Alan Smith. Alan Smith was prepared to consider coming to us. He was on £3M a year and Newcastle wanted a £1M a year contribution.”

“As I have said before, £1M plus government tax equals £1.15 million, we cannot afford it, it is as simple as that.” “The result is of course that Newcastle have a player they don`t particularly want,”

Smith has been put on the transfer list at Newcastle as a free agent, even though he has one year left on his five year contract.Smith will be available as a free agent next summer.

Ken Bates:We are looking to sign four players

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has confirmed the club are in "serious discussions" with a number of players about moving to Elland Road - and has reiterated the fact there are no plans to sell any major players.
The club has been linked with players and the chairman told Yorkshire Radio: "I can confirm we are in serious discussions with a number of players. We are looking to sign four players.
"There are three that we failed to get because they signed for Premier League clubs, but that shows the quality we are trying to get it, and you can't blame the players.
"I'm not going into too much detail because it's stupid to comment on what you are doing when all you do is alert the competition."
Media speculation has also been rife about offers being made for players, but the chairman insisted: "Nobody is leaving Leeds United. We've had one offer for a player and we said no.
"There are rumours you read in the papers, that this club is going to offer x for someone and y for someone else. It's all newspaper talk or agents trying to stimulate interest.
"I can assure fans that we have no intentions of selling our top players unless the offer is so ridiculous that it will enable Simon to strengthen his team in other ways.
"Our aim this year is to get in the Premier League and not be a breeding ground for others."

Bates:Schmeichel has no future at the club.

Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has warned goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel that he has no future at the club.Leicester City have seen a bid for the 24-year-old Dane accepted by Leeds, much to the player's disappointment.And Bates has confirmed the club are already in the market for goalkeeping replacements.
He said in the Yorkshire Evening Post: "We've decided that we're going to sign two new goalkeepers and Kasper will not be first choice."Now he has a decision to make. He either accepts that he's out of the limelight for a year or he goes to Leicester or another club that comes in for him. We will be moving on."

Meanwhile, Fede Bessone is to report for Leeds' pre-season training, despite the left-back's future at Elland Road looking uncertain following a difficult season at the club.

His agent, Peter Smith, said: "He'll be training at Leeds until something else happens.

"He's got two years left on his contract and his next move needs to be the right one. As things stand, he's still a Leeds player."

Ken Bates Faces Goverment Inquiry over Leeds United Takeover

Ken Bates will face a parliamentary demand for a government inquiry on Tuesday in order to disclose every detail of the transactions that led to his taking over Leeds United.

The former Chelsea owner has been chairman of the Championship club since 2005 – barring a short period during the club's 2007 administration – during which time he served two separate consortiums of anonymous offshore owners. The obfuscated ownership structure finally came to an end last month, when Bates took over 73% of the club in a transaction whose cost has not been disclosed. But the lack of transparency remains a major concern of the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into football governance.

Now Damian Collins, the Conservative MP who sits on the football governance inquiry, has set up an adjournment debate at Westminster Hall next Tuesday. "The principle is that it should never be allowed to happen again that football clubs are bought by offshore trusts of which we have no idea who the owners are," said Collins. "Even though Ken Bates has now taken the club over, I do not think we should forget that. There remain a lot of unanswered questions about the whole process which warrant a full investigation."

When Leeds collapsed under the weight of £35m in debt in 2007 its anonymous offshore creditors refused bids that would have earned them £8m more, simply because they wanted Bates to retain control as chairman. That insolvency process also led to HM Revenue & Customs receiving only a fraction of the £7.7m it was owed in unpaid taxes.

Collins added: "I think we should investigate how Leeds was bought by Ken Bates and whether there are issues for the government to look into, given the millions of pounds of unpaid tax in the administration. We should also consider whether there is a need for the government to look into how the money was raised to buy the club, and where it came from."