Bradford City boss Paul Jewell says talks are continuing with winger Lee Sharpe in a bid to make his move to Valley Parade permanent.

The former England international spent the final six weeks of the season on loan with City, helping the Bantams earn a place in the Premiership.

Sharpe has, however, returned to Leeds United with his loan spell now over, but appears surplus to David O'Leary's plans and looks set to leave this summer.

A fee of around £1.5 million is believed to have been agreed between City and Leeds, but Jewell admits that a compromise will have to be reached over the player's wages. Sharpe still has two years of his contract at Elland Road to run and is believed to be earning between £12,000 and £15,000 per week .

The City boss said: "I spoke to Lee a couple of times when we were all out in Majorca and he told me he really wants to join us because he has enjoyed it so much.

"But he also appreciates the financial aspects because as a club we have to be sensible. The fee and Lee's wages would make it difficult for us.

"But we are working hard on sorting something out because Lee enjoys it here and he would be a useful member of a Premiership squad."

Sharpe played nine games, including three as substitute, during City's successful promotion run-in when he grabbed two goals.

He impressed out wide with some influential displays, his best coming at Port Vale when City earned a 1-1 draw.

The winger, who celebrated his 28th birthday yesterday, looks certain to leave Elland Road this summer and has also been linked with a £1.5 million switch to City's Premiership rivals Everton.

Sharpe joined Leeds in a club record £4.5 million deal when Howard Wilkinson was in charge, only to see the then-United boss sacked within weeks of the 1996-97 campaign getting underway.

George Graham took over at Elland Road and Sharpe became a fans' favourite, largely because he was one of the few players who looked capable of scoring in a season when Leeds netted a paltry 28 goals in 38 league games.

He missed the whole of the 1997-98 campaign through injury, but it soon became clear that he was not a favourite of, first, Graham and then his successor O'Leary. After being frozen out of first team action at Elland Road, Sharpe joined Italian Serie A giants Sampdoria on loan for three months before switching to Valley Parade just before the transfer deadline in late March.

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