Sky Sports and BBC Radio Leeds are tonight reporting that Aidan White has agreed a new 3-year deal with Leeds United.

White has been the subject of interest from tens of clubs from France to Germany, Arsenal to Derby. Today Nigel Clough said Derby County could not afford the youngster.

The overdue recapture of White comes as Leeds mull a derisory £2m offer for Robert Snodgrass from Norwich.

The jungle drums tell the same story on Aidy White as Bradley Johnson, Neil Kilkenny, Jonny Howson et al. A first offer with no negotiation to legitimize the pleas from the defiant yet helpless Ken Bates that the greedy agents and players were holding the club to ransom, while he made his stand on his white charger. The tying down of Aidy White is a time for relief in my opinion, more than jubilation. Leeds are finally spending what their income says they should be able to spend and are finally meeting the ambition of the community – on one signing.

I’m in two minds about filling the good news of Aidy White agreeing a new contract with moans about the way the club is run and the impending departue of our player of the year, but then Aidy White was very nearly yet another victim of Leeds United’s very unique style of “negotiation” and development. In the seemingly cursed year and a half since winter 2010 when we failed to spend to strengthen a squad looking good for promotion, the important long-term captures of Luciano Becchio, Tom Lees and Aidy White have been the three exceptions to the rule of no ambition and no funding.