Whelan: Leeds need to do just one thing to secure future of fan favourite
Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan has said that the club need to make guarantees about the quality of their summer transfer business if they are to secure the future of Pablo Hernandez.
The Spanish attacker is set to see his current contract expire at the end of the current campaign and the club are yet to seal a deal which will have him commit to extending his stay at Elland Road.
The 32-year-old is a firm favourite of the Whites’ fans and has been a star of a bitterly disappointing season, with nine goals and 10 assists under his belt in his 39 outings across all competitions.
However, Whelan believes he could well be stalling over a deal until he is convinced the club are heading in the right direction, and believes negotiations could centre on what the club have planned for the summer transfer window.
He told BBC Radio Leeds (07/04, 17:00): “Why hasn’t he got a three-year or two-year contract?
“(If you are Hernandez) you want to be here, but you want assurances that the squad will be strengthened come the end of the season.
“Not just strengthening with numbers, strengthening with quality. It gives him the chance to be a better player as well.”
Football Insider verdict
Leeds would have thought they were strengthening with their mass overhaul last summer but while they saw a lot of new faces through the door, not all of them have managed to live up to expectation. They cannot afford a repeat this coming window, and Hernandez will also have an eye on the sort of business they have planned. If it is more unproven talents from across Europe, there may be alarm bells ringing in the Spaniard’s head. On the other hand, if they can repeat the business conducted over the winter, bringing in the likes of Adam Forshaw, then it could well convince the 32-year-old to stay.
In other Leeds United transfer news, the club are set for a massive couple of weeks over their transfer business.
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