A wrangle over money is delaying David O'Leary's acceptance of an invitation to replace George Graham as manager of Leeds United.

O'Leary wants assurances from the club chairman, Peter Ridsdale, that there is money for players. He is also thought to be unhappy about the terms of his personal contract.

"I'm flattered to be offered my first managerial appointment at a big club like Leeds - it's something I've dreamt about since my playing career was coming to an end," he said. "Managing Leeds is a huge challenge for anybody and if I take the job, I want to be fair to both the club and myself. The bottom line is that I've asked the chairman to spell out what the package entails.

"I want to play it straight but much as I'd love the job of managing Leeds, I'm not going to rush into anything. I've asked for certain things to be clarified and, as far as I'm concerned, the ball is now in the manager's court."

The issue of spending on the transfer market has festered for some time and is believed to be partly responsible for Graham's decision to move to Tottenham. Before his departure, Graham said the club needed up to three new players to move forward.

The transfers impasse is another complication in an unusually protracted saga. Having failed to persuade Gordon Strachan and Martin O'Neill to fill the vacancy, Leeds remain without a replacement after three weeks of intense speculation.

"It's not a satisfactory situation for the players but the fact that, three weeks on, there is no manager in place is no fault of mine," said O'Leary. "I was unaware that Martin O'Neill had turned down the position until I returned from Rome on Wednesday afternoon. I honestly expected that there would be a press conference today to confirm Martin's appointment. Now that his move is off, there is a lot of hard thinking to be done.

"I promise that I won't take as long to make up my mind but I have to be certain that my decision, when I make it, is the right one."

O'Leary was scarcely short of advice yesterday. Jack Charlton, one of Leeds' most celebrated players for some 15 years, described it as a fantastic opportunity.

"It's an offer that many, more experienced managers would jump at," he said. "It's a great opportunity for David but he's right to make sure everything is in place before taking on the job."

Howard Wilkinson brought O'Leary to Leeds as a player after Arsenal had given him a free transfer in recognition of his 20-year spell with the club.

Wilkinson, now a technical director with the English FA, said: "At the end of the day, it has to be David's decision but he should think long and hard about the quality of player he would inherit. It's a terrific set-up at Leeds from top to bottom and there are a lot of great kids playing up there just now."