Dennis Wise is reporting to be ready to move for several targets as soon as the transfer window opens in the new year, but it looks like Shaun Derry is heading the other way.

Wise has a couple of gaps to plug, due to Douglas being out for several months with injury and Rui Marques call-up to represent Angola in the African Cup of Nations. He told the Yorkshire Post "We would like to bring in three or four players. We will be buying them for the long term, I want young players. I am not saying they will be 18-years-olds, I mean 24 to 25 year-olds who have games under their belts. That is what we are looking for to make us better”.

Anyone who saw the Heath/Huntingdon partnership in action against Hereford in the FA Cup will appreciate that we need another central defender rather than continuing to rely on these two during Rui’s absence. They seemed ill-equipped to cope with Hereford’s quick forwards, and Wise obviously feels that he needs to strengthen the squad in this area. Wise's has confirmed that he is after Bolton Wanderers defender Lubo Michalik, who made seven appearances for Leeds on loan last season. "We looked at him last year so know his strengths and we definitely missed him when he went back. He is young and willing to learn. He has the right attributes and would be perfect for us”.

Wise also intends to sign Finnish winger Sebastian Sousa on a free transfer after his successful trial at Leeds, after the 23-year-old's contract with HJK Helsinki expires on December 31. Sorsa has represented Finland’s under-21s level and has also played for Helsinki in the UEFA Cup. Wise told the Yorkshire Post “He caught our eye and did very well so we're looking to bring him in. He plays on the wing and he's quick with a lot of ability as well. He's going to give a bit of competition”

Meanwhile, it looks as though Shaun Derry is likely to leave the club during the same period. It has long been suspected that Derry was the infamous ‘mole’ who leaked some team information before the game with Palace last season. We know that Derry visited the Palace hotel to see some old team-mates before that game, and that he hasn’t played a first team game for Leeds since. Though officially his absence from the side has been down to injury and the fact he is ‘not in Wise’s plans’.

But since he went to Palace on loan to ‘build up his fitness’ he has played the full 90 minutes of every game for the South London club, and his excellent form has helped them climb out of relegation danger. All the signs are that the move is likely to become permanent in January. Derry said "My preference is to stay in this division. I want to play regularly and that doesn't seem to be the case at Leeds so I've got to see what happens. It's not really in my hands – it's up to the managers – so I'm keeping out of it." And Wise commented “I don't think this is the right time to be talking about him”.

Clearly Derry’s ability can’t be the issue, as he must be worth a place in the current Leeds side if he is playing well in a higher division. But Wise seems determined to ship him out despite the absence of Douglas, though any transfer fee will come in handy as he looks to strengthen the squad in other areas. Derry was a popular figure amongst the fans for most of his stay at Elland Road, but if he has played his last game for Leeds, we can content ourselves that it’s probably good business to pick up a transfer fee for a 30 year-old.

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