Source: Eurosport
Bates reveals City snub
Leeds rejected an approach from Manchester City for midfield starlet Fabian Delph before giving the green light for the 19-year-old to move to Aston Villa, according to chairman Ken Bates.
The Whites agreed a fee with Villa for Delph on Monday afternoon and he is now set to undergo a medical at Villa Park.
However, Bates revealed that City had also reached an agreement for the youngster but that that deal collapsed after the Eastlands club requested a one-week delay before completing the transfer.
"We had accepted an offer from Manchester City on Saturday which they had to go back with to the owner in the Gulf," Bates told Leeds' official website. "Then apparently they needed a week to think about it which surprised us, considering the size of the deal.
"The problem was they might have come back and said 'no' and that wouldn't have been fair to Delph, wouldn't have been fair to Aston Villa, and would have eaten into our season.
"We went back to Villa and it's a good decision for Leeds and the player."
