Leeds United have accepted an offer of around £1m from Leicester City for Kasper Schmeichel, but the player and the club have given very different accounts of the circumstances surrounding the deal.
When I got an e-mail earlier today telling me that Kasper had been sold, I assumed that we’d had an offer from a Premiership club that was too good to turn down. So imagine my disappointment when I found out that he was on his way to Leicester, who are not only a club in the same division as ourselves, but who only just finished in the top half of the table last season.
Inevitably, it turns out that this is another departure that is down to Ken Bates’ reluctance to match the amounts of money that our Championship rivals are prepared to offer players. On the official website Simon Grayson told the club website: "We feel this is the right deal for the club.We spoke to Kasper's agent at the end of the season about a contract extension and it was apparent that it was going to be difficult. He added: "Given the fact he has one year remaining on his contract we feel this is in the best interests of Leeds."
But Sky Sports have reported Schmeichel’s surprise that the club had accepted Leicester’s offer. "I want to put on record that I have never asked to leave the Leeds United, nor did I reject an offer for a new contract, since one was never put to me. Therefore it is with great disappointment that I have learned that Leeds United have accepted an offer from Leicester. I was enjoying being a Leeds United player and was looking forward to winning promotion this season with the club. I have been put in a very difficult situation and will spend some time considering my options for my future."
Now we need a new goalkeeper, with last season’s reserve stopper Shane Higgs having left the club already. We have been linked Coventry’s Keiren Westwood, who has impressed when he’s played against us for his current club and also for Carlisle, so let’s hope that we manage to complete that signing.
So where does this leave us? After today’s events I wouldn’t be surprised if Bates decides to accept Swansea’s offer for Max Gradel, who also has only one year remaining on his contract, which would tempt Pappa Smurf to cash in rather than risk losing him for nothing. I’m starting to wonder how much longer Simon Grayson will put up with losing his first choice players, and whether he’ll be tempted to jump ship the next time another managerial job comes along.
With three of last season’s team having left already and no new signings coming in, Bates is showing a lack of ambition that is sapping all the enthusiasm I was feeling for the new season. And I doubt that I’m the only one. So unless we get some decent new players in before the start of next season I think we can expect to hear a few chants of “We want a team and not a hotel” ringing round Elland Road.