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'Irrelevant' - Peter Ridsdale backtracks over Leeds United transfer comments

-Credit:CameraSport via Getty Images
-Credit:CameraSport via Getty Images


Preston North End director Peter Ridsdale is adamant Leeds United's promotion push will have no bearing on the situation surrounding Sam Greenwood’s future.

The versatile attacker joined the Lilywhites on a season-long loan deal last summer. He has been a first team regular at Deepdale this term, contributing five goals and two assists from 26 Championship appearances.

Reports in the North West say North End inserted a buy-option in the loan deal for Greenwood, who is under contract with the Whites until 2026. It has been suggested that a deal to take the 23-year-old to the Lilywhites on a full time basis is in the region of £1.5m agreed by Greenwood’s previous loan club, Middlesbrough. It remains to be seen if North End will activate their option to sign the former Arsenal man.

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Ridsdale claimed a potential deal for Greenwood could be complicated if United secured a Premier League return back in August. But speaking to the Lancashire Post, Ridsdale said: “The decision on that will be in two people's hands and that's the manager here and Sam's hands.

“The Leeds promotion, or otherwise, is not a complicating factor because all of that's been taken into account in the numbers that have already been agreed between us and Leeds.

“If Sam says ‘I'd like to sign for Preston’ and the manager says ‘I'd like him to sign’, the financials are already agreed. Whether Leeds stay down or go up is irrelevant.”

North End sit 15th in the Championship, seven points shy of the play-off positions.