Lubomir Michalik

Carlisle United boss Greg Abbott has admitted he doesn’t think the club will be able to sign Lubomir Michalik on a permanent deal despite a successful loan spell with the Cumbrian’s.

Abbott said Lubo is on a “really, really big wage” and whilst he’d love to make him a permanent addition by offering a salary that would make him one of the clubs top earners, he doesn’t believe it would come anywhere close to meeting Michalik’s demands.

After signing from Bolton Wanderers in 2008, Michalik went on to make 49 appearances for the Whites before falling way down the pecking order and being shipped out on loan.

The fact that both Leeds and Carlisle were playing in the same division when Leeds United gave Lubo his current salary in 2008 highlights the huge difference in financial resources these two sides have been between them.

You do however have to wonder just how high his salary is? At the time, it seemed like a major coup capturing a Premier League player whilst we struggled to escape League One, but it now seems Dennis Wise (the then manager) brought him to Leeds with some impressive financial incentives. As we saw at Notts County, the lure of money is much more important these days than the division you’re playing in.

At 27 years old, Michalik still has his best days ahead of him and Leeds United would be careless to let him go for free in the summer after lining his pockets for a season he played no part in. The best case scenario would be a transfer in January, but after spending the last few months on loan to Carlisle it seems unlikely that he’s going to have a line of managers queueing up outside Elland Road fighting for his signature.

Elsewhere, the future of Mike Grella hangs in the balance as Abbott also revealed he didn’t expect Leeds United to loan him back to Carlisle for the rest of the season.

With McCormack, Paynter and Somma not even guaranteed a place on the bench it seems highly unlikely that Grella will remain at Elland Road for long. However, it seems Simon Grayson is in no rush to decide on Grella’s future and is likely to weigh up his options before deciding what happens next with the American. A loan move or transfer seem the most likely options.