Peltier set to join Leeds

LEEDS United were closing in on the signing of Lee Peltier today after agreeing a fee for the Leicester City right-back.

By The Newsroom Friday, 3rd August 2012, 10:08 am

The former Huddersfield Town player is on the verge of completing his long-awaited move to Elland Road, with a severance deal at Leicester believed to be the only possible sticking point.

United manager Neil Warnock has been tracking Peltier ever since his failed attempt to sign Joel Ward on a £400,000 transfer from Portsmouth, and the 25-year-old is poised to fill the vacant right-back position at Elland Road.

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Leicester are thought to value Peltier in excess of £500,000 and though Huddersfield made serious attempts to re-sign a player who left them for join City last summer, Leicester’ asking price led Town boss Simon Grayson to focus on other options.

The capture of Peltier – an England youth international – would move Warnock’s defensive line closer to completion after previous deals to sign goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, left-back Adam Drury and central defender Jason Pearce.

Warnock confirmed last Friday that Peltier was a prominent candidate to play at right-back next season, saying: “We’ve made enquiries about a few. There’s three on the radar and Lee is one of them so we’ll see what happens. I’m sure we’ll pull a full-back in over the next week.”

Peltier signed a three-year deal when he moved to Leicester from Huddersfield 12 months’ ago, a transfer worth £750,000 to the West Yorkshire club.

He is understood to be in the process of negotiating a settlement of that contract, a complication which delayed Matt Mills’ recent transfer from Leicester to Bolton

Wanderers - but an agreement is expected to be reached in the coming days.

Peltier has fallen from favour at the KP Stadium despite playing 47 times last season and starting 39 Championship games.

Manager Nigel Pearson has used him in pre-season and the defender completed 80 minutes of City’s 3-1 win over Burton Albion on Wednesday night but Leeds look set to prise him away in the days ahead.

Meanwhile, United striker Billy Paynter was on the verge of a move to Doncaster Rovers this morning after training with the League One club yesterday.

Paynter linked up with Doncaster after seeing a week-long trial at Blackpool cut short, and Rovers were hopeful of pushing his switch from Leeds through before their friendly against Barnsley at the Keepmoat Stadium tomorrow.

Rovers assistant Brian Carey said: “I don’t think he’s had much game time with Leeds for one reason or another but he would be a welcome addition to the squad.”