Whilst I was creating religious warfare today, the rumours and stories of Leeds United’s ins and outs continued.

James McArthur

I’ve touched upon the James McArthur rumour once before, but it seems to be gathering momentum with the newspapers claiming Simon Grayson has tabled a £1m bid (plus add-ons) to top that of Wigan, who have already submitted a bid of £800,000.

The Hamilton Academicals youngster is said to be keen on a move to Elland Road where he’ll link up with former Scotland U21 team mate, Robert Snodgrass. One of those “close sources” the papers also cite says that;

“If Leeds make it back to the top flight they are obviously a bigger club than Wigan..

..Leeds have topped Wigan’s offer and if they continue being successful they are one of the biggest teams in the country.”

Harsh words for any Wigan fan to read, but unavoidably true. Whether the potential of Leeds United is enough remains to be seen, but if the £1m bid is true, it would certainly put an end to claims that Simon Grayson has no money to spend this summer.

Billy Paynter

Swindon chairman, Adam Filton is resigned to losing star-striker Billy Paynter after he saw his team lose to Millwall in the League One play-off final.

Rumours surrounding Billy Paynter weren’t uncommon before the play-offs, but their chairman admits their failure may have put the final nail in the coffin of his Swindon Town career;

“I don’t think he will stay.

“We would like him to stay but he is out of contract and if he has an offer from a Championship club – which we suspect he has – then we are never going to be able to compete with that.”

Chairman says he thinks Paynter has had an offer from a Championship club and Leeds United are known to be in the market for a proven goalscorer. Put the two together and it’s an easy news days for the papers, but this is one of those links with an element of believability to it. He’s free – which Ken Bates will like – and scores plenty of goals. 29 last season to be precise.

Alan Sheehan

One of the most puzzling things for us Leeds United fans last season was Simon Grayson’s decision to play Andy Hughes out of position at left-back, when we had players that fit that role already. One such player was Alan Sheehan. Larry’s refusal to play him defied all logic, but it doesn’t take much reading between the lines to see him and Sheehan aren’t the best of friends. Speaking about his departure, Alan said;

“I’ll be leaving Leeds, as long as Simon Grayson is there I won`t be there anyway. I’ll be happy to be leaving I suppose and move on with my career.”

You can’t help but notice the bitterness in that statement. His direct reference to Simon Grayson suggests the two never really saw eye-to-eye and that Alan would find it impossible to work with (should Simon decide he wants to work with Alan of course).

I remember when Simon joined Leeds United, I was told by a couple of Blackpool fans that he took no prisoners and was well-known for falling out with players and leaving them to rot on the sidelines. Maybe it was a similar case with Rui Marques too, as even the most uneducated football fan could see Naylor’s legs had gone towards the end of last season?