£3m for Leeds’ Sam Byram? You must be joking!

BRIAN McDermott laughed off talk of a £3million bid from Crystal Palace for Sam Byram as a positive week at Leeds United continued with the signing of Noel Hunt.
Sam Byram.Sam Byram.
Sam Byram.

McDermott insisted that Leeds had received no offers for their teenage right-back and responded to suggestions of a £3million price-tag by asking: “For which boot?”

Sources in London are indicating that Palace - newly promoted to the Premier League - intend to approach Leeds about Byram’s availability but McDermott gave short shrift to the subject of the 19-year-old’s future after adding Hunt to his squad.

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Hunt was unveiled as United’s third close-season signing yesterday, agreeing a two-year deal at Elland Road.

A delighted McDermott welcomed his arrival, describing the striker as a “winner” and saying Leeds’ supporters would “love him”.

But he was categorical in dismissing fresh speculation about Byram, saying: “If any club wanted to make a bid for Sam Byram then they’d do it the right way and I certainly know that (Palace manager) Ian Holloway would do it the right way.

“He’s a really good person and I’m sure he wouldn’t be making a bid of £3million for Sam Byram. That wouldn’t be the case and it certainly hasn’t happened.”

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Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City are other clubs who have taken an interest in Byram, though a tentative approach from Cardiff in April is understood to have been met with an asking price of £8million.

Byram is presently recovering from a hip injury and could miss Saturday’s opening pre-season friendly against Farsley but Hunt is in line for a 45-minute outing at Throstle Nest after finally sealing a free transfer to Leeds.

The 30-year-old Republic of Ireland international had been a target of McDermott’s since leaving Reading in May and the United manager said: “The fans will see that he’s got the desire, the determination and the ability. He’s got a never-say-die attitude and a will to win.

“He’s been a winner over the past five years and I think the Leeds fans will love him, I really do. They’ll love what they see.

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“I’ve known him for five years now and I scouted him when he was at Dundee United. (Reading) bought him for £500,000 and it was £500,000 really well spent.

“In that time he’s won the Championship, he’s played in the Premier League, he’s played in a play-off final, he’s played in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. He’s got experience and he’s a great guy.”

An eventful week at Elland Road has raised the mood in Leeds following an anxious period in which McDermott appeared to be growing increasingly frustrated with a lack of progress in the transfer market.

Hunt’s arrival followed on from Monday’s £1million capture of Luke Murphy from Crewe Alexandra and the raft of boardroom changes which saw former chairman Ken Bates and ex-chief executive Shaun Harvey relinquish their positions.

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McDermott revealed that he was continuing to work on two more signings but played down the likelihood of either player arriving before the weekend.

“There’s a good atmosphere here,” he said. “There’s a good spirit here and you can smell it. We need to try and be the best we can. If you consider that last week was difficult, this week things are happening. Things are happening around the training ground, with the squad and with the club. We’re getting to where we need to get to.”

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