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Leeds for sale Venables' first job to manage player sell-offPosted: Thursday July 11, 2002 5:56 AMLEEDS, England (Reuters) -- The excitement around Elland Road is building as the Leeds United squad make their acquaintances with Terry Venables but for several players the arrival of the new boss will mean goodbye. Club chairman Peter Ridsdale has made it clear that he needs to sell players to raise 15 million pounds (US$23.2 million) and Venables took the job in full knowledge of that fact. So the new manager will spend the next few weeks getting to know his charges while at the same time marking some of them for the chop. "We've had a very brief discussion about the squad but it's very early days," Ridsdale said Wednesday. "Terry will take his time but when he has identified who he thinks we should seek a fee for we can get down to business." Venables, who replaced the sacked David O'Leary this week, accepted that cuts have to be made. "We would like to keep them all but the reality is that we can't," he said. "It's no secret that there's 15 million pounds to be found and we will do whatever we can to satisfy that side of things. "We've got a bit of balancing to do -- we have to let one or two go, no doubt about that." The first on his way is likely to be midfielder Lee Bowyer, who has been talking to Liverpool. Bowyer, whose last two seasons were overshadowed by his court appearances on an assault charge for which he was acquitted, is in the last year of his contract at Leeds. Venables is a known admirer of the tenacious midfielder but admitted Wednesday that the future is very much in the player's hands. Forward department Sunderland has bid for striker Robbie Keane but Venables will be anxious not to lose the Irishman, despite being spoilt for choice in the forward department. "I don't think I've ever been at a club, even Barcelona, that has such a wealth of talent up front," said the well-travelled 59-year-old. "They are all very talented players and I would be very happy to have them all." Keane, Mark Viduka, Alan Smith -- who Venables expects to feature regularly for England, Michael Bridges and Harry Kewell could all be vying for two forward places next season but one is likely to go. Others who could be in the shop window are midfielders Stephen McPhail, Oliver Dacourt and Jason Wilcox and defenders Michael Duberry, Ian Harte and Gary Kelly. However, the choice of Venables as the new boss may well have put paid to any potential move to Manchester United for Rio Ferdinand, who Leeds bought from West Ham United for 18 million pounds. "I haven't spoken to Rio but I'm confident about him," Venables said. "Where we can reach him is that he loves to play football, you can see that in the way he plays." Venables also has an ace up his sleeve on the matter having invited a then 17-year-old Ferdinand to train with his England squad at the 1996 European championship. "Terry Venables was brilliant to me and I'm looking forward to meeting him and hearing his plans," Ferdinand said. "I am still a Leeds player and I haven't asked for a transfer." That will come as welcome news to the new boss, and the fans, as did Ridsdale's surprise announcement that, despite being forced to unload players, there would be money around for new ones. "There is no doubt whatsoever that by the time the season starts money will be available to strengthen the squad," the chairman said Wednesday.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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