Bristol City may try to sign Leeds striker Ross McCormack
BRISTOL City are weighing up a move for Leeds United contract rebel Ross McCormack.
Scotland international striker McCormack, 25, is in dispute with Leeds after rejecting a new contract offer made by manager Neil Warnock.
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Striker Ross McCormack, right, has rejected a new contract with Leeds United
His deal expires at the end of next season and sources in Yorkshire suggest Leeds are prepared to cash in on a player who scored 19 goals last season, rather than allow him to run down his contract and depart as a free agent 12 months from now.
City have still to replace last season's top-scorer, Nicky Maynard, who left to join West Ham in January, and Robins boss Derek McInnes intends replenishing his attack before the transfer window closes at the end of August.
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McCormack's agent has made overtures to a number of interested clubs, including City, Premier League Wigan Athletic and Championship newcomers Huddersfield Town.
But Leeds' asking price and McCormack's wage demands could prove a stumbling block to City, who are under pressure to keep player costs down.
Although Warnock is now prepared to consider the possibility of selling his leading marksman, Leeds are unlikely to be tempted by anything less than £2 million.
Warnock said: "Ross is going into his last year and it might be that people come in for him now."
McCormack started his career with Scottish Premier League club Rangers in 2003 and went out on loan to League One Doncaster Rovers in January 2006. At the end of the season, he was released by Rangers and joined fellow SPL side Motherwell.
In 2008, he moved to Championship side Cardiff upon the expiry of his contract, firing 24 goals for the Bluebirds in his first season in the Welsh capital.
But he eventually fell behind Jay Bothroyd, Craig Bellamy and Michael Chopra in the pecking order and was transferred to Leeds for £350,000 in 2010.
He played ten times for Scotland Under-21s from 2006–2008, scoring three goals, and he was also capped once for the national B team.
McCormack made his senior debut for Scotland in 2008 and has been capped seven times overall, scoring once in a 2–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification victory over Iceland.
Meanwhile, McInnes has enquired as to the availability of West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.
City's manager is seeking an experienced keeper to replace David James and provide competition for Dean Gerken, who finished last season as first choice.
A member of the Hull side that beat City in the 2008 Championship play-off final at Wembley, American-born Myhill, spent last season on loan at Birmingham City, swapping places with Blues keeper Ben Foster and making 42 appearances for the Midlands club. He has a year remaining on his contract at The Hawthorns and could be surplus to requirements if Foster makes his move from St Andrews to Albion permanent.
McInnes is also in the market for a centre-half and left-back, but has dismissed rumours linking him with Middlesbrough's Stephen McManus and Chelsea starlet Ben Gordon.
McManus spent a month on loan at Ashton Gate last season and has been linked with a return to City. But the Scot is left-footed and McInnes is in the market for a right-sided centre-back to partner Liam Fontaine, with Coventry's Richard Keogh his preferred choice.
Rumours linking City with a possible move for Chelsea left-back Gordon have also been dismissed by McInnes.
Comments
by i8city
Tuesday, July 03 2012, 1:04PM
“city got no money now lansdowns got bristol up the gas”
by piledriver
Saturday, June 30 2012, 1:39PM
“@jceegas:
Indeed he has so that's income you've relied upon in your business plan will move away as soon as the new grounds built-Not all bad news, ay?”
by johnbristol3
Thursday, June 28 2012, 7:36PM
“Just a thought but " BIG JOE JORDAN" lost his job today surely we could with someone of his calibre to help Del”
by johnbristol3
Thursday, June 28 2012, 7:32PM
“Well his surname starts with"Mc" and so far all the management start with the same so its a possability,
We may also try to sign Ronaldo , messi , rooney , we can TRY and sign as many as we want but its all about DOING now not trying , the clock is ticking and we may end up with more backroom staff signings than players, lets just hope that there are two different budgets or we may not have any money left for players,
Come on Del time to get the fans appatite wetted”
by redferryman1
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 3:00PM
“Time continues to move-on, and pre-season training is about to start. So, could any of you out there in 'web-land' disguise yourselves as a striker, a creative midfielder, a 'keeper or a right-sided full-back for the next 10 months because, as things stand, we may need you....?”
by piledriver
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 2:41PM
“@ manchestergas:
Posturing & Opinion-Coventry "quoted" £1m for Keogh and now that has dropped to £400k.
If they won't sell for less than £2m then it looks like McCormack's staying put!
My guess would be about 40-50% of that and there won't be many at AG earning more than £10kpw, if any, under the new regimes austerity plan”
by jceegas
Tuesday, June 26 2012, 11:42PM
“big steve has got a new toy......bristol rugby”
by manchestergas
Tuesday, June 26 2012, 11:30PM
“errrr, there is this bit "Leeds are unlikely to be tempted by anything less than £2 million."
and being a proven Championship goal scorer screams "money"...
Leeds have an average att of 25,000 a game over the last 3 seasons, whereas Robins is 14,000. he is probably being paid quite a lot there.
Kilkenny came on a free.
hardly any comparison to McCormack at all!”
by piledriver
Tuesday, June 26 2012, 6:35PM
“No fee or wages mentioned so how do you know what he'll cost and what he'll earn?
We signed Kilkenny why not this guy?
On the Maynard fiasco the clubs' naivety or should I say SL's was, frankly laughable........I hope Steve will laugh at that almost £5m loss in income.”
by manchestergas
Tuesday, June 26 2012, 5:47PM
“this paragraph ["His deal expires at the end of next season and sources in Yorkshire suggest Leeds are prepared to cash in on a player who scored 19 goals last season, rather than allow him to run down his contract and depart as a free agent 12 months from now."] could have easily finished with ... "just like Maynard last year". Funny how footy goes around...
Don;t think there is any chance of Robins signing him, given the money side of it, and this is just more shoddy journalism from the BEP. They might as well inovice his agent for such a great ad.”