BURY'S French ace Laurent D'Jaffo yesterday joined First Division Stockport County in a £100,000 deal.

Last season's leading scorer becomes the third Shakers striker to join the Edgeley Park club in the last twelve months teaming up with Rob Matthews and Tony Ellis who left Gigg Lane midway through last season.

The move comes as no surprise after the Bury Times exclusively revealed two weeks ago that D'Jaffo was unsettled at the club with boss Neil Warnock unhappy with his attitude during the pre-season build-up.

With a surfeit of forwards on the club's books and Indian star Bhaichung Bhutia waiting in the wings, Warnock won't be too perturbed at losing D'Jaffo while the £100,000 windfall looks like good business for a player picked up on a free transfer from Ayr United last summer.

But the whole D'Jaffo business has left a bitter taste in the mouth of chairman Terry Robinson who described the Frenchman's stance as a "mini Anelka".

"I'm far from happy about the situation," he said. "He was under contract for another twelve months and we didn't want to sell him, but we were forced into a situation where we had to.

"I'd definitely think twice about signing players who were linked to agents like that.

"It may look good business as far as the money is concerned, but we'd rather the player had stayed with us."

Warnock added: "We only want players who want to play for the club in our dressing room, Andy Preece may be on the list, but at least he wants to play for us and has proved that this week."

As one overseas striker leaves another arrives - or will be doing in a few weeks time.

Indian superstar Bhaichung Bhutia has returned to his homeland to get a government work permit allowing him to play in the Nationwide League.

The club have agreed a three-year contract with the East Bengal striker and hope everything will be sorted out by the middle of September.

The Shakers travel to Wrexham tomorrow with only injury victims Chris Billy and Paul Barnes missing.

"It will be our hardest game so far as it's away from home, but we'll go into it positively," said Warnock.

"I couldn't have asked any more from the lads from the first two games, people may say we've missed chances, but at least we're creating them."

And there's no change on the goalkeeping front with the manager happy to stick with Paddy Kenny

"Paddy knows we are looking at other goalkeepers, but there's no need to rush into signing a new one when he's doing as well as he is."

A Bury XI defeated Ramsbottom United 3-0 at Gigg Lane on Wednesday in a fund-raiser for the First North Western Trains League club.

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