Chairman Ken Bates is hoping the illustrious history of Leeds will help them compete in the transfer market this summer with rivals who have the benefit of parachute payments. Boss Simon Grayson must strengthen his squad after Leeds clinched an automatic return to the Championship after a three-year absence, but Bates admits the Yorkshire club cannot match the financial muscle of rivals benefiting from parachute payments.

Bates said: "We're not going into the Championship to make up the numbers. Some of these clubs start with £16million which represents a challenge, and there's a huge gap in terms of the Championship.

"Some clubs do start with a tremendous advantage, but there are players who want to come and play for Leeds United and that's an advantage we have.

"There's one player we are negotiating with at the moment who can earn more money elsewhere, but he wants to come here and he isn't alone in that.

"Having got promoted and knowing that we are in the Championship, we're in serious talks and negotiations. We can't do our business around immediate announcements and expectations. We know what we want and what we want to do."