Leeds 'nearly signed' Chelsea hero before baulking at 'ridiculous' £11m transfer cost

Football fan and lead singer of James, Tim Booth, revealed Leeds United almost secured the signature of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard before he left West Ham United.

However, they were put off by what was deemed a "ridiculous" transfer fee. Booth, an avid Leeds supporter, shared insights into his relationship with the club's hierarchy, which is how he came to know about the potential Lampard deal.

He disclosed that Leeds had been preparing a bid for Lampard, but the £11million asking price deterred them, reports Leeds Live. This deal didn't deter the Chelsea board and they ended up securing Lampard's signature in 2001.

Speaking on The Overlap's 'Football, Music and Me' podcast, Booth discussed his friendships with former Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale and manager David O'Leary - and expressed his astonishment at the plans being made at the top level.

Booth said: "I was watching what was going on behind the scenes and wondering how are they affording this? Also, the players that got away, they probably would have made all the difference actually.

"I know that we nearly got Frank Lampard and Ridsdale said to me, 'They're asking for £11million which is ridiculous for a player of that calibre' and it really didn't turn out that way."

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Lampard eventually left West Ham for Chelsea in an £11m transfer, becoming one of the club's greatest players and excelling for England. During his time at the club, he made 429 appearances, scored 147 goals, and won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Europa League, and the Champions League.

Booth also spoke about how a move to Monaco for John Arne Riise was on the cards before he ultimately landed at Liverpool. But when Monaco demanded an extra £1m, Leeds' officials were so incensed that they cancelled the transfer.

The singer said: "They nearly got John Arne Riise before Liverpool and apparently the deal was done. Then, they asked for an extra million and it p****d off the Leeds hierarchy so much that they didn't go the extra million.

"That [deal] would have replaced Ian Harte at the time who became, God bless him, a brilliant free-kick taker but a little slow and people ended up targeting Leeds through Ian Harte.

"So, it was like you'd hear about those moments where you think 'what a team that would have been if they'd managed to get those two players' for example."

Riise eventually signed for Liverpool in the subsequent summer and clocked up 234 appearances, claiming the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield.