Saint Etienne winger Max Gradel admits he has unfinished business in English football amid reports of a potential return to Leeds United.

The 25 year old was part of a fire sale at Elland Road in 2011, where the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Bradley Johnson and Jonny Howson were sold within a six month period.

And Gradel's premature departure, after just two years at Leeds, has done nothing to quell his love for English football and the Ivory Coast international is open to a return in the near future.

Max Gradel
Gradel left Leeds in 2011.

"I have a contract here until June 2015, I have settled well here and I'm enjoying my football," Gradel said.

"But I am a lover of English football and its atmosphere. I am 25-years-old and I know my love affair with English football is not finished yet so you never know.

"At the moment, my French club is doing well so I am happy here but things happen quickly in football."

Gradel has scored nine goals in 31 games for Saint Etienne since joining the club last year and has played an influential role in the club's surge into the Ligue 1 top four, where they lie eight points off leaders Lyon.

Leeds meanwhile have suffered since the departure of Gradel, finishing 14<sup>th in the Championship last season, but despite a disastrous start to the current campaign are just four points off the play-off places.

GFH capital are set to complete their takeover of Leeds on 21 December after the Football League granted permission for three members of the company's management, David Haigh, Salem Patel and Hisham Alrayes, to join the board of directors at the Yorkshire side.

Having passed the 'owners and directors test', the takeover, which is set to hand manager Neil Warnock improved resources to help bolster his squad, should be completed before the New Year, in time for the January transfer window.

Leeds will get a taste of the big-time they so crave when they take on Chelsea next week in the League Cup quarter final, hoping for another Yorkshire upset against Premier League London opposition following Bradford City's defeat of Arsenal on Tuesday.

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