You can say one thing about Middlesbrough, they’re certainly persistent and it seems they won’t take no for an answer in the great Ross McCormack transfer saga. Their latest offer is believed to be around £1.5million.

The man himself is insisting that he is happy at Elland Road and that he isn’t looking for a transfer, but admits that he will be moving on if the club’s new owners decide that they’d rather have the cash. The 27 year-old said yesterday "This is a massive club and I’m really honoured to be here.”

McCormack was quoted by Middlesboro’s Evening Gazette as saying “Not once have I asked for a transfer and I won’t. I won’t force through a move. If the club were to give me a longer contract, then I am more than happy to sign it. Whether that comes or not could be a different story. It’s always nice when other clubs are putting in offers for you but I’ve said numerous times, I’m happy here.”

But he went on to say “If there’s an issue there with the club and they need me to move on for money or whatever, sometimes in life you have to do things you don’t want to do. If I’m going to go, it will be because the suits decide. I am very calm about the situation. Whatever is going to happen will happen.”

Que sera sera, as they say. Whether McCormack stays or goes will be a big indication of whether GFH have the financial resources and the ambition to take the club forward, or whether we are still a club that sells it’s best players, as we were throughout the Bates era. It’s one thing to get rid of a few fringe players to raise a bit of cash, but McCormack is a key member of the side, and if he is to leave it’s bound to provoke a reaction from the fans.

But the word is that Leeds need to cut the wage bill and Brian McDermott has been told he must sell first before he can bring in any new players. One of his priorities is to strengthen the central defence, but Leeds have lacked a little up front in the last two games, and badly needed McCormack’s brilliant individual goal on Saturday. If he does go we would have to rely on either Noel Hunt or Matt Smith, but both players have looked rather limited on the evidence we have seen so far.

It will be very disappointing if we can’t even compete financially with a club who finished in mid-table during the last two seasons, but it may be that is still the position we’ll be in until GFH can attract some more investment into the club.

Photo: Action Images

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