Leeds can't afford smith

Newcastle were hoping they could loan out their former captain, Alan Smith, to his former club Leeds United for next season, but that will not happen.

Alan Smith – his high wages are preventing a loan move to Leeds

It turns out that Leeds cannot afford to pay the £1M of Alan’s £3M in wages,  for that deal to go through, so it’s not worth it to Newcastle either.
Alan will get very few games in the Newcastle first team this coming season, with top Ivory Coast International Cheick Tiote the current holder of the central defensive midfield at Newcastle, and Tiote  was one of Newcastle’s best players in his first season at the club last season.
Central midfielders Yohan Cabaye and 18 year-old Slovenian  Haris Vuckic have  both impressed in pre-season, and given that Joey Barton, Ben Arfa and Dan Gosling can also play in central midfield, Smith will see very little first team action next season.
Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has admitted there is little chance of  their former player Alan Smith returning to Leeds on loan for next season, and this is what Bates said today to Yorkshire Radio:

“We were interested in Alan Smith. Alan Smith was prepared to consider coming to us. He was on £3M a year and Newcastle wanted a £1M a year contribution.”
“As I have said before, £1M plus government tax equals £1.15 million, we cannot afford it, it is as simple as that.”  “The result is of course that Newcastle have a player they don`t particularly want,”

Smith has been put on the transfer  transfer list at Newcastle as a free agent, even though he has one year left on his five year contract, but if Newcastle are going to pay the vast percentage of  Alan’s wages next season, why would they let him go  play for Leeds?
Smith will be available as a free agent next summer, and Leeds United must be in with a very good chance of signing their former player.