Leeds have agreed an £8.3million fee with Lens for 25-year-old midfielder Olivier Dacourt. The former Everton player who passed a medical last week, has agreed a five-year deal. Dacourt left Goodison Park in June last year in a £6.5million deal with the former French champions.
Meanwhile, manager David O'Leary watched his young Leeds side claim the final Champions League place yesterday, and admitted that he felt they deserved it. Leeds could only manage a goalless draw at Upton Park, but that proved enough for third place in the Premiership as Liverpool went down 1-0 to Bradford at Valley Parade.
In the top two from September until April, Leeds had suffered a run of six straight defeats that saw their UEFA Cup dreams shattered amidst the tragedy of the death of two of their supporters in Istanbul.
A season that had promised so much suddenly threatened to yield nothing, but O'Leary's youngsters gathered themselves to finish the season with an unbeaten run to hold off the challenge of Gerard Houllier's side. “It's just reward for a young side,” said O'Leary. “The goal was the Champions League at the start of the year, but I didn't think we'd make it, and in the last few weeks I thought we'd blown it.
"We ran out of steam, our own success in the UEFA Cup cost us, combined with the sad incidents in Istanbul. When I took the job people told me not to, it was going nowhere, but I think we've proven them wrong," said a delighted Leeds boss. (PA)
