Leeds United: Blades closing in on deal for Sharp

Leeds United and Sheffield United remain in talks about Billy Sharp with the striker increasingly likely to leave Elland Road before the start of the season.
Billy Sharp at Leeds United's training camp in Kossen, Austria.Billy Sharp at Leeds United's training camp in Kossen, Austria.
Billy Sharp at Leeds United's training camp in Kossen, Austria.

Discussions about Sharp have made progress in the past few days and Leeds are ready to strike a deal which sees Sheffield United buy the 29-year-old out of the last year of his contract.

United appear willing to accept the fee being offered by Sheffield United but are reluctant to bear any of the cost of Sharp’s wages for the remainder of his deal at Elland Road.

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Leeds invested £600,000 in him when they brought him north from Southampton a year ago but Sharp was in and out of their starting line-up last season and is down the pecking order under new head coach Uwe Rosler.

The forward is currently in Austria for United’s pre-season tour and is expected to go with the club’s squad to Norway for Saturday’s clash with Hoffenheim.

He was left out of Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt near Salzburg and Rosler refused to explain his absence afterwards, confirming only that Sharp was not injured.

A surplus of forwards at Leeds saw the club make Sharp, Steve Morison and Nicky Ajose available earlier in the summer and Sheffield United are closest to securing Sharp, despite prior interest from Wigan Athletic.

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However, the YEP has been told that an agreement with the League One club will not involve Jamie Murphy, the Sheffield United winger who Leeds took an interest in at the beginning of the transfer window.