Leeds loan for Lucic
Saturday, August 31, 2002
Article summary
Leeds United AFC have loaned Swedish defender Teddy Lucic from AIK Solna for rest of the season.
Article body
Venables keen
Leeds manager Terry Venables has responded to the €11m sale of Robbie Keane to Tottenham Hotspur FC by securing the versatile Swede in a 10-month deal.
Leeds have first option
Lucic will spend the 2002/03 campaign at Elland Road, during which time the Premiership club will have the option of making the transfer permanent.
Financial sweetener
At the same time, AIK have extended the 29-year-old's contract until November 2004 to avoid losing him on a Bosman. An AIK spokesman said: "After the World Cup we expected one or two players to leave and this is one way to ease our financial problems."
World class
Lucic, who is nominally a centre-back but can operate across the back four, featured in all Sweden's games at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and has 47 caps. Previously he played for Lundby, Västra Frölunda and IFK Göteborg before a disappointing spell in Serie A with Bologna FC between 1998 and 2000.