Coca-Cola Divisions: Leeds

Danny Mills has joined Middlesbrough on a year-long loan after falling out of favour with Leeds manager Peter Reid.

Mills was criticised by Reid, dropped for the first two Barclaycard Premiership games of the season and told he could leave Leeds on loan after a falling-out.

Boro were believed to be battling with Birmingham for the England full-back's services but the Teessiders won the race to agree a loan for Mills, who cost Leeds �4million from Charlton four years ago.

Mills claimed it was "a slur" on his character after Reid had apparently questioned the 26-year-old's attitude towards training.

AC Milan have confirmed that Brazilian defender Roque Junior is travelling to Leeds to discuss a year-long loan deal with the Premiership club.

Leeds are hoping to take a significant stride towards signing Brazilian World-Cup winner Roque Junior on Thursday.

The 26-year-old centre-back, his representatives and officials from current club AC Milan flew into Leeds this morning to continue talks which are already at an advanced stage.

Peter Reid is hoping to sign Roque Junior from the Serie A giants on a year-long loan, a popular arrangement for the Leeds boss who already has Didier Domi, Lamine Sakho and Zoumana Camara on the same deal.

Cameroon international midfielder Salomon Olembe should also join Leeds later today for the rest of the season from Marseille pending the completion of his medical.

The main stumbling block for Reid with regard to Roque Junior's move is the player's reported wages of �40,000 per week with Milan, although it is hoped a compromise can be reached.

Mark Viduka's short-term future with Leeds looks secure after the club on Friday revealed turning down an offer for the striker from Inter Milan.

Viduka has long been linked with a move away from Elland Road, primarily as agent Andrea D'Amico has hawked the Australia international across Europe in the past few months.

Serie A giants Inter have made no secret of their admiration for Viduka, who was Leeds' leading scorer last season with 22 goals.

Inter decided to make their move following Hernan Crespo's transfer to Chelsea this week.

But they were firmly rebuffed by Leeds chairman John McKenzie as the Italian club were only looking for

Nigel Martyn is discussing personal terms with Everton after Leeds accepted a bid for him.

The club's website, www.leedsunited.com, reports that 37-year-old Martyn, capped 23 times by England, has been given permission to speak to Everton boss David Moyes.

Leeds boss Peter Reid admitted that a deal was imminent after the 3-2 win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

Martyn has been kept out of the Leeds team under Reid by England keeper Paul Robinson.

And Reid, who has Danny Milosevic and Scott Carson as cover for Robinson, said: "He's in the last year of his deal and he has been a fantastic servant to this club.

"We've got young goalkeepers - that's one of the reasons for letting him go. But the other is as a thank you for being so patient.

"He is a top professional and deserves a first-team place somewhere."

Martyn, settled in the north, turned down a move to Chelsea at the start of the season.

Leeds chairman Professor John McKenzie has revealed that the club have rejected inquiries from clubs in England and Europe for star trio Alan Smith, Paul Robinson and Mark Viduka.

McKenzie hopes that in dismissing the approaches, Leeds have sent out a clear message that, despite heavy debts, they no longer have to sell their best players.

Leeds boss Peter Reid has added to his catalogue of loan captures with the signings of Marseille striker Cyril Chapuis and AC Milan defender Roque Junior.

Chapuis, 24, has signed on loan until the end of the season after passing his medical.

He joins Marseille team-mates Salomon Olembe and Lamine Sakho at Elland Road.

Signed by Marseille from Rennes, Chapuis scored four times in 33 appearances last season, but was played out of position.

The former French Under-21 international is said to have fallen out of favour at the Stade Velodrome.

Roque Junior, meanwhile, was granted a work permit by a three-man appeals panel after he had initially been refused last week by the Home Office

The Brazilian World Cup winner, who celebrated his 27th birthday 24 hours before joining Leeds, will join his new team-mates after first playing in two international matches against Colombia and Ecuador.

A delighted Reid said: "He is a World Cup winner, a European Champions League winner and a big boost for the squad.

Leeds captain Dominic Matteo has revealed he had juices from a turkey's head injected into his knee in a bid to beat injury.

The defender had to quit playing for Scotland because his damaged knee could only take so much strain.

The 29-year-old, who has been capped just six times, received a barrage of criticism from pundits north of the border, who claimed the former England Under-21 international had never been committed to the Scots' cause.

But he told the Sunday Mail's Sport Monthly magazine: "I would love to be playing for Scotland without any problems but it just can't be.

"I visited a specialist in Munich called Dr Hans Mueller-Wolfhart and he painted a clear picture.

"He tried everything. I had goose liver, calf's liver and juices from a turkey's head injected into me.

"The bottom line was that something had to go and I decided to give up playing for my country.

"Leeds pay my wages and they have to come first."

Leeds striker Mark Viduka was not part of the squad which flew south to Portsmouth after a "training ground incident" on Friday morning.

The Australian is believed to have had yet another bust-up with manager Peter Reid and will not now be part of the Yorkshire side's plans against Pompey.

Leeds stand on the brink of administration - but that would not mean the end of the football club.

In a bid to restructure their debts of �78million, Leeds have recently held lengthy negotiations with two of their major creditors.

Well with no money,no real manager and down the bottom of the league things don't look good for leeds right now..
Leeds owe almost �60million to American bondholders, a sum of money they sacrificed against future season-ticket and match-day ticket sales for 25 years from 2001.

Leeds also owe a further �21million to a Guernsey-based finance company who helped United fund a number of player purchases such as Mark Viduka and Dominic Matteo during the club's Champions League heyday.

But Leeds' failure to subsequently qualify for the tournament in 2001 and 2002 has led to them hitting a financial brick wall and announcing a British record club loss of �50million last month.

It has prompted frantic discussions with their creditors, which has so far failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion, and resulting in the club confirming to the Stock Exchange that if further talks break down then they "may be forced to seek the protection of an administration order."

Leeds are in serious money troubles and it doesn't look good for them at all,i would hate to be a Leeds fan right now.

Looks like leeds could be bailed out..Sheikh Abdul bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa of Bahrain is ready to launch a takeover for Leeds United, according to a report.

It is understood that the sheikh is part of a consortium.

The sheikh, a member of the Bahrain Royal family, has been a fan of the Elland Road club for 25 years.

Its looking like he might be taking them over but times is running out so he better get a move on.!

Leeds chairman Professor John McKenzie has put a value of �50-60million on the troubled club - but believes the Elland Road outfit is worth investing in.

The club are reported to be �78m in debt, but have reached a "standstill agreement" with creditors to stave off the immediate threat of administration.

They have until January 19 to either find a buyer for the troubled club or to negotiate and secure a longer-term deal with the creditors, and McKenzie is optimistic the situation will have a positively outcome.

Dominic Matteo fired home a last-gasp winner to give relegation-threatened Leeds a 3-2 victory over Fulham at Elland Road to keep the revival bandwagon on course.

It is now seven points from the last nine under caretaker-boss Eddie Gray, but only after an edge-of-the-seat finale as Louis Saha appeared to have salvaged a point for high-flying Fulham.

Saha scored a second-half brace to cancel out Leeds' two-goal lead afforded them initially by the unlikely figure of Michael Duberry and then Mark Viduka.

Professor John McKenzie was described as "damaged goods" following his decision to step down as Leeds plc chairman.

McKenzie has confirmed he will not be standing for re-election at next Tuesday's AGM to ensure there is no conflict of interest should he represent potential new investors in negotiations with the club's advisors or creditors regarding a buy-out.

McKenzie, who took over the troubled helm following Peter Ridsdale's resignation at the end of the March, is to retain his role as non-executive chairman, although it is understood he will also relinquish that position at a later date.

A Chinese tycoon has emerged as a prospective buyer to help save debt-ridden Leeds from falling into the hands of the administrators.

Leeds are currently up for sale to the highest bidder, and chief executive Trevor Birch now has exactly five weeks to find a white knight to ride to the club's rescue.

With Leeds �78million in debt, Birch has been given a deadline of January 19 - set by the club's principal creditors - to resolve the current crisis.

Deputy plc chairman Allan Leighton has already resigned from his post in the belief he is forming a consortium, while chairman John McKenzie has confirmed he is not standing for re-election at next Tuesday's AGM.

I don't know who is going to take them over but it looks like they have a bit more time to sort it out,good thing is that Leeds seem to have stepped up on their game and are picking up some points.

Smith was given a two-match ban on Tuesday by a Football Association disciplinary panel at Soho Square after pleading guilty to a charge of improper conduct, although he managed to avoid a fine.

The charge stemmed from an incident at the end of Leeds' Carling Cup defeat at home to Manchester United on October 28 when Smith picked up a plastic bottle and hurled it back into the Elland Road crowd, hitting the sister of one of his best friends.

He deserved it,he shouldn't have thrown it back.Some of these players need to be more professional in there jobs especially the younger ones.

Leeds are looking seriously bad at the moment and are candidates for the drop to div 1.