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Leeds United to lose cash in West Ham Byram deal as chief confirms Everton snub
LEEDS UNITED have accepted a lower transfer fee from West Ham than what Everton were willing to pay for defender Sam Byram, according to reports.
Sam Byram is expected to leave Leeds by the end of the transfer window
Byram, 22, held talks with Everton and he appeared set to complete a £3.7million transfer to the Toffees this week.
But the Hammers have hijacked the deal by offering the right-back an immediate role in Slaven Bilic's back four.
"I’m really sorry for Everton because they really acted like gentlemen, but Sam chose West Ham," Leeds owner Massimo Cellino confirmed.
"I've signed nothing yet but West Ham's bid is much lower than Everton's.
"I don't control the player. He wants to go, he decides where and when."
But, as Cellino explained, the Hammers will not stump up the same fee Everton were willing to pay.
As part of Leeds' agreement with Everton, the Premier League side would have paid a further £1.3m in add-ons and bonuses for Byram, bringing the overall fee to around £5m.
It is not known exactly how much West Ham are prepared to pay for Byram, although Leeds know they can earn around £2m in compensation if their academy product leaves on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer.