Jamaican international is first name on McDermott’s Leeds hitlist

United are believed to have enquired about 25-year-old Humphrey as they and manager Brian McDermott begin drawing up plans for McDermott’s first full season as manager.

Humphrey – a target for SPL champions Celtic less than 12 months ago – is in the final stages of his deal at Motherwell and will become a free agent at the start of July. Motherwell’s attempts to tie him to a new contract have failed and the Scottish club are resigned to losing him.

They signed Humphrey from Shrewsbury Town in 2009 and his appearances north of the border total more than 150. He has figured prominently in a Motherwell side who, under the management of former Bradford City boss Stuart McCall, are on course to finish as SPL runners-up behind Celtic.

Humphrey came close to a move to Parkhead in August of last year after Celtic manager Neil Lennon explored the possibility of signing him in the latter stages of the transfer window. The sides did not agree a fee, however, and Humphrey was left to see out his deal at Fir Park.

Like Leeds midfielder Rodolph Austin, Humphrey has featured in Jamaica’s national squad and won his first cap in January 2012.

A product of the youth-team system at Walsall and later taken on by West Bromwich Albion, he made his senior debut after joining Shrewsbury in 2006.

United are likely to seek new wingers once the transfer window opens next month, with McDermott looking to restructure a squad who are lodged in a mid-table Championship position after 44 games.

Discussions about the summer were expected to begin in earnest at Elland Road this week with United’s campaign scheduled to end a week on Saturday.

McDermott hinted at substantial changes last weekend, admitting: “I’ll be saying to the board and the chief executive (Shaun Harvey) exactly how I see things.

“I’ve got to take all obstacles away from the players. We’ve got to give them every opportunity to be successful – whoever plays at this club next season.”

United’s interest in Humphrey is not thought to have gone beyond an initial enquiry but Leeds are the subject of an increasing amount of speculation about possible close-season targets.

The Yorkshire side have been linked with striker Adam Le Fondre – a player who McDermott took to Reading from Rotherham United in a £300,000 deal in 2011 – and are also rumoured to be monitoring Billy Sharp, a forward Leeds have pursued before.

Sharp has spent this season on loan at Nottingham Forest and might yet feature in the Championship play-offs but he will return to parent club Southampton next month with two years left on his contract at St Mary’s.

A source close to Sharp said the ex-Doncaster Rovers striker was likely to remain at Southampton until after the start of their pre-season schedule in an attempt to earn the favour of manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Pochettino’s predecessor, Nigel Adkins, allowed Sharp to join Forest in a season-long deal last August, declaring him surplus to requirements in the Premier League.

Le Fondre, meanwhile, looks increasing likely to be made available by Reading having struggled to hold down a place since McDermott’s sacking on March 12.

The 26-year-old, who has scored 12 goals in 33 appearances, voiced his frustration after Adkins declined to use him with Reading trailing 2-1 to Norwich City in a crucial game last Saturday. Reading’s narrow loss all but confirmed their relegation to the Championship.

“We needed goals and that’s what I bring to the table,” said Le Fondre, the Premier League’s player of the month for January.

“I want to play every game and I want to start every game but most importantly I want to come on the pitch, affect things and make an impact.

“At the moment I’m not getting anything. If it continues, I don’t know what will happen. I’ve no idea. It’s in the club’s hands. I’ve had a half-decent season by my own standards.”

McDermott bought Le Fondre from Rotherham in the early stages of the club’s Championship title-winning season.

The striker stuck 16 times over the course of that term, including two against Leeds in a Good Friday match at the Madejski Stadium. United’s boss said last week that he could look to his old club for recruits, though he rejected the idea of a large influx of players from Reading in the coming window.

Several senior professional who played under him are close to the end of their deals, though Le Fondre is not among them. He signed a three-year extension in October.

Asked if he might turn to players he had worked with in the past, McDermott said: “Not necessarily. If we’re talking about Reading players, not necessarily.

“Is there a possibility of that? There could be. But I wouldn’t say I’m going to sign six players from Reading. It won’t happen.”

United’s summer dealings remain dependent on their financial position and the funds provided by club owner GFH Capital.

One of the firm’s directors, David Haigh, is in Leeds this week and could be joined before Saturday’s match against Brighton by fellow GFH Capital executives Salem Patel and Hisham Alrayes. The Dubai-based company’s future as owner remains unclear with an offer from local businessman Steve Parkin to buy 51 per cent of Leeds still on the table.

Parkin’s bid – accepted in principle but subject to due diligence – appears increasingly unlikely to reach a successful conclusion but an associate of Parkin’s insisted last night that he has not yet abandoned his attempt to gain control of United.

GFH Capital currently holds a 90 per cent stake after selling 10 per cent to Bahrain’s International Investment Bank (IIB) last month.