luke murphyOn the day major changes swept through the Elland Road boardroom, Leeds United’s new hierarchy sent a resounding statement of intent to the rest of the Championship by beating Blackburn Rovers, among others, to the signing of highly-rated Crewe midfielder Luke Murphy.

In doing so, Leeds United had to dig deep, splashing out what is believed to be a seven-figure sum for the first time in eight years.

Murphy has attracted widespread interest this summer from Premier League and Championship sides and was believed to be heading to Blackburn Rovers until Leeds United hijacked the deal at the last minute.

We asked earlier whether the post-Bates era of Leeds United was just another false dawn, but early indications suggest the sleeping giant has finally awoken.

Questions still hang over Leeds United’s new ownership, but actions speak much louder than words and the signing of Luke Murphy is exactly the kind of positive PR GFH Capital need, infinitely more effective than fake fan Q&A sessions with our new chairman.

23 year-old Murphy has already sampled the sweet taste of promotion with former club Crewe, helping them win the League Two play-off final in 2012 before adding the Football League Trophy to his successes earlier this year. In all, Murphy made 186 appearances for Crewe scoring 25 goals. Named Crewe’s player of the season 2012/13, Murphy also featured in the League One team of the year.

Brian McDermott expressed his delight at completing the deal, saying that;

“I’ve watched his career progress, and I feel he was the best player in his division last year.

“Luke certainly fits the profile of players that we’re looking to attract: Young, hungry, and obviously talented, I’d like to thank the owners for making this deal happen. We had spoken about Luke being one of the key signings.”

Attention now turns to the rest of Brian McDermott’s targets, which include another highly-rated League One player, Tommy Rowe. Along with Murphy, these are exactly the kind of targets Leeds United should be focusing on –  young, eager players with plenty of scope for development and, perhaps most importantly, a point to prove at this level.