After the deal looked dead, it now appears that Viviani has joined Leeds on loan.

Last week, owner Massimo Cellino declared the deal was off after Viviani's camp seemed to drag their heels following a poor performance in pre season. Now however, Cellino has declared the deal has been done.

This is the first player of real quality that we have signed. The midfielder can certainly play and is exactly what we have been crying out for. Hopefully one of many, as more new faces are expected this week...

With less than two weeks to the start of the season, Leeds have a problem...a big one.

Despite assurances of stacks of money from the owner, the team as it is, is worse-much worse than last season...and alarm bells are starting to ring.

The team that head coach Hockaday put out on Saturday was pretty much the same as last season-less our one true quality player in Ross McCormack. Two Rudy Austin penalties did not disguise the fact that we are severely lacking in quality-all over the pitch. Several Italians have signed-names that had us searching Wikipedia and YouTube for, yet to take us forward we don't need more squad players-we need money spent on some real top players for this division. Who currently will replace McCormacks goals-as I see it, the whole team combined will struggle to match his total of 29. We are crying out for a striker-probably 2. A midfielder with flair and creativity, a centre back to sit alongside Pearce, and some wide players with pace.

Cellino may well have a trick or two up his sleeve, but these players need to be here now-especially any from overseas-they cannot learn the 'English way' in 12 days, and hit the ground running.

I'm desperately trying to stop the many knee jerk reactions I'm having, but I'm struggling. A poor team last season has been weakend. A manager that had history has been replaced by one who has none, whilst the Chairman currently seems to be keeping up the tradition of the last 10 years of promising much, whilst delivering little. I pray he proves me wrong and gets this wonderful club of ours in order-in and off the pitch, but the clock is ticking 'president' Cellino-over to you..

According to pretty much everywhere, Leeds have sold captain Ross McCormack to Fulham for £11 million.

The Scot was an absolute inspiration last season, and his 29 goals were the only highlight of a miserable season. A talisman for the club, his passion, skill and goals were possibly the only thing that stopped us been relegated, and for that, we should be ever thankful to him.

However, £11 million is ridiculous-completely and utterly ridiculous. This puts him in the same bracket of these players-transferred in the last year or so.. Mignolet, Erikson, Tevez, Bony, and twice as much as Downing, Long, Hooper and Huddlestone.

I'm staggered at the fee-And have gone from not wanting him to leave at all, to fuelling my car and happy to do the driving and help him unpack.

Credit where it's due to Cellino-that is a hell of a fee-realistically I think most of us would have expected half of that at most. Time will tell whether it will be reinvested, because without McCormack and no replacement, we would have an almighty struggle to stay in the division-reinvested in the right players could give us a real chance...

skysports are reporting that Ross McCormack has handed in a transfer request. The striker, who last year signed a new 4 year deal, has been the subject of much speculation after staying in the UK, whilst the rest of the squad flew to Italy for pre season training. Fulham were expected to wrap up a £10 million deal, but several other clubs are interested, following the Scots 29 goals last year.

No one expected McCormack to still be at Leeds come the first game, and it now looks like McCormack is thinking the same.