Leeds United owner Ken Bates says the club's takeover will need time.

Leeds have only released a statement to confirm that the exclusivity period had ended but talks remain on going.

And 80-year-old Bates yesterday evening said: "Despite the confidentiality agreement, stories keep appearing with varying degrees of accuracy as evidenced by the statements put out by LUST (Leeds United Supporters Trust).

"That included a TV interview that said a deal was 'imminent'. It wasn't then and is progressing slowly now. In football everybody expects everything now - but the real world is different."

Writing in the club programme ahead of tonight's clash with Hull, Bates added: "The current situation is that as I write, the appropriate documents have not been finalised between the lawyers."