Leeds United head coach Steve Evans is convinced if he had been in charge of the Whites last summer then Sam Byram would not have been sold to West Ham United this month.
Byram joined the Hammers on Wednesday with Leeds agreeing to sell the right-back when he refused to extend a contract expiring at the end of the season.
Evans was not in charge of Leeds last summer as Uwe Rosler had been appointed boss by Whites owner Massimo Cellino.
But following Rosler's sacking, Evans was handed the reins in October and has since steered Leeds away from any relegation worries, along with raising hopes of a potential late dash for the playoff places.
And Evans thinks he could have convinced Byram to sign a new deal last summer. Asked if he feels he could have sold the club and their ambitions to Byram, he told LUTV: "100 per cent, not even 95.
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"I think Sam endorsed that in my private conversations with him", he added.
The Scot believes that if he had been in charge then Leeds would not have been heading into the winter transfer window with Byram having just six months to run on his deal.
However, Evans does not wish to look back and feels Byram was fortunate to have been able to choose between Everton and West Ham when it came to his next step.
"I have to feel if I had been in the door back in the summer we might not have been in a position where Sam's contract was due to run out at the end of the season.
"The situation was what it was. Lots of meetings with Sam. He's conducted himself impeccably and he's a very gifted young man.
"He's got all the ingredients to play in the Premier League. He was very fortunate that he had two or three clubs wanting to take him as a player and out of those clubs Leeds United agreed terms with two of them and he chose West Ham United", Evans added.
