Report confirms exact transfer fee Leeds United paid for Bristol City player

Defender Luke Ayling has discussed the reasoning behind his transfer from Bristol City to Leeds United.

Ayling made 80 league appearances for the Robins across 2014 to 2016 before making the move to Elland Road, signing a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

But the 28-year-old has now filled in the background to the transfer, while it has also been revealed what the exact fee collected by City was as the former Arsenal youth player headed north: a mere £200,000.

Speaking to The Athletic media outlet this weel, Ayling explains that the writing was always on the wall regarding leaving Ashton Gate, and that a change of tactics and fewer first-team starts meant a switch was likely.

"I had a good first season and played every game under Steve Cotterill but then I got injured, Cotts got the sack (in January 2016) and Lee Johnson came in," said Ayling.

"I knew pretty much from the off that things weren't going to go well - from things around the training ground and things (Johnson) said to me.

"I was out of the squad or I was on the bench, sometimes getting the last five minutes of games.

"I knew I had to move to get football. I just never expected it to be Leeds, to be honest.

"As it happened, I started the first game of the (2016/17) season I left and played well. Then, on the Tuesday, they said, 'Look, you're getting sold'. 'Okay. Fair enough,' he explained.

Ayling scored the winner at Elland Road between the two sides back in February, and the right-back has gone from strength to strength in Yorkshire under Marcelo Bielsa.

Bristol City fans may hope that the paltry fee for the former Yeovil player may be softened up by any clauses, including a possible one based on promotion to the Premier League.

Ayling, of course, had been involved in the infamous scenes at Cheltenham Festival earlier in 2016 where he was pictured alongside Samir Carruthers of MK Dons and Shrewsbury striker James Collins as the latter two urinated into glasses in the VIP section and threw them over the side.

A move away from City happened later that year, possibly influenced by those events, but it was Celtic who almost signed Ayling originally, before a move to Scotland stalled and the Whites tied up a switch instead.

And Lee Johnson has since changed his mind over whether it was a good idea to let Ayling leave the West Country.

"I don't think we've ever made any secret that things didn't end well," said Ayling, of his relationship with City boss Johnson.

"He wanted to sell me, which I suppose is fair. He has to make those choices. But I feel like I've always stepped up my game a bit when I've played him [Johnson's teams]. I feel like I've always done well against him.

"It's good to hear someone say they've changed their mind about you - a few years too late but I'm not moaning."