Danny Mills has suggested that he believes Leeds United will not be signing Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph this summer.
Leeds had believed to have shown interest in signing Delph, who made 58 appearances for the Whites before moving to Aston Villa, with the midfielder thought to be increasingly likely to be leaving the Premier League champions this summer, according to The Sun.
However, Mills has suggested that Leeds would be unlikely to be able to afford Delph, and thinks that the 29-year-old is more likely to end up at a mid-table Premier League club if he is sold by Manchester City this summer.
“There is no chance Leeds will pay £15million and £80,000-a-week. He obviously comes from Leeds and he played and learned his trade there,” Mills told the Football Insider.
“This will just be his agents trying to drum up interest in their player and get a market going. There is no way he will come back to Leeds, unless Man City pay nearly all of his wages and waive the transfer fee.
“I can see him leaving Man City, but he is more likely to join Wolves. Or a mid-table Premier League club like Watford or Leicester or Southampton.”
OPINION
Mills’ comments will be a blow to Leeds in their hopes of a potential bid to bring Delph back to Elland Road this summer. However, the former England international is probably right to suggest that Leeds will be unlikely to be able to afford Delph, who is earning way too much for a Championship side on his current deal with Manchester City. Delph is therefore likely to be joining a club, as Mills suggests, who are in the Premier League this summer. That will be a blow to Marcelo Bielsa who will be looking to strengthen his options during the summer transfer window, after guiding a small squad to the Championship play-offs this season. Having missed out on promotion it will be important that Leeds’ board allow Bielsa the funds to go into the transfer market and recruit players who will add depth and quality to his squad. Delph would have been an excellent addition at Elland Road, but as Mills alludes to his wages and transfer fee means Leeds will be needing to look elsewhere, but a player of similar quality to the 29-year-old would be a welcome move for the Whites this summer.