Haigh targets Leeds promotion in two years but McDermott frustrated with transfer window

Managing director David Haigh has labelled Leeds United as English football's "last sleeping giant", stating that the club's plan is to return to the Premier League within two years.

Haigh, who is also the deputy chief executive of GFH Capital ltd, told The Sun:

"Our ambition is to be back in the Premier League in two years and we think that's a realistic goal, it's what we are aiming for.

"We have said we want to build a sustainable future for Leeds and bring the last sleeping giant in English football out of its slumber.

"There's so much untapped energy at this club. I have been at Leeds when there has been 9,000 fans there and when it's been full to the brim.

"The atmosphere can be supercharged.

"We will need that in pursuit of our goals and we don't think it's unreasonable for us to aim for the Premier League in two years' time."

In saying that, United's manager Brian McDermott has had to face the the fact that Leeds is a sell-to-buy club, and despite making three additions to his squad so far this transfer window, the former Reading boss admits he has to cut away the deadwood before he can sign more players, however much their needed.

has he former Reading boss has made three additions to his squad so far this summer, with Matt Smith and Noel Hunt joining on free transfers from Oldham Athletic and Reading respectively, while midfielder Luke Murphy commanded a seven-figure fee from Crewe Alexandra.

Matt Smith (free, from Oldham Athletic), Noel Hunt (free, from Reading) and promising midfielder Luke Murphy (suspected to be at least £1 million, from Crewe Alexandra) are the newest players to pull on a white jersey, but the Whites' manager told the Yorkshire Evening Post that he has been left frustrated by a lack of transfer activity, especially after suffering three successive pre-season defeats.

"Am I making any progress?" McDermott said. "We'll see what this week brings.

"I'm saying the same things and saying nothing really. There's one player I've been trying to get for a number of weeks and that hasn't changed."

"From our point of view I'd suggest we're in a situation where we probably need a player to go out the door before we can bring one in the door. That's where we're at.

"We've had nothing concrete yet. We'll have to see what happens."

Leeds are rumoured to be in the hunt for Bolton's centre-back Matt Mills and Reading's centre-back Kaspars Gorkss, while 27-year-old Slovenian goalkeeper Darjan Curanovic is on trail at Elland Road.