Leeds will kick-start transfer talks tomorrow with No1 most wanted player

McDermott intends to review the situation at Elland Road this week having failed to advance one particular deal which has occupied him throughout United’s pre-season tour.

The Leeds manager travelled away to eastern Europe last Monday anticipating developments in the transfer market during a week-and-a-half abroad but he conceded that United will fly back from Slovenia with an unchanged squad.

McDermott said: “There’s been no progress since I last spoke, nothing significant. We’re flying back tomorrow and I’ll have talks with the club again when we get home.

“I keep talking about this player I’m after and the deal’s still there but I haven’t been able to move it on.

“As for players here, we’ve still had no real interest in anyone, just the odd question asked.”

McDermott, whose plea to United’s board in June led to the £1million purchase of Luke Murphy, has said nothing of the identity of his fourth target – a player who might follow Murphy, Matt Smith and Noel Hunt to Leeds – but he indicated previously that any deal would involve a fee.

Asked if he was worried about losing the player in question, McDermott said: “I don’t know, that’s the honest answer.

“I’m not thinking about losing him, I’m thinking about getting him.

“What other clubs are thinking isn’t my business.”

McDermott is expected to bring a new centre-back to the club in the coming weeks but he will use tonight’s friendly against Hungarian side Ferencvaros – the last of United’s three games on tour – to make a closer assessment of Lee Peltier.

Right-back Peltier will play in the centre of defence this evening, with McDermott saying: “I want to have a look at him there. I thought he was smashing the other night.”

The Leeds boss manager picked fault with many of his players after they were beaten 2-1 by two late goals at FC Domzale on Saturday and McDermott said: “We’re already trying to address what went on.

“It’s a sin to win a game and not to know how you’ve done it. I watch certain clubs win games and thought ‘how have they won that?’ The reason is that they know what they have to do in every situation.”

Sam Byram and Jamie Ashdown will play no part again this evening with both players still recovering from injury.

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