Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes the club may have to replace midfield architect Pablo Hernandez this summer if they clinch promotion to the Premier League.
Though the coronavirus pandemic has brought the 2019/20 football season in England to a halt, Leeds currently find themselves top of the Championship table, following a run of five successive victories prior to the suspension.
But should the campaign be handed the opportunity to resume, Leeds will be in pole position to try and bring an end to their Premier League exile.
However, if Leeds do get the job done and return to the top-flight 16 years after dropping out of the Premier League, they will have to sign a younger attacking-midfield player as a replacement for Hernandez, according to Whelan.
Hernandez, who put pen to paper on a two-year contract extension at Elland Road back in November, keeping him in West Yorkshire until the summer of 2022, has been a star performer under Marcelo Bielsa and also has experience at Premier League level.
Despite that, Whelan believes that the club need to look at recruiting a younger version of the former Swansea City man.
“There is a lack of Premier League experience and a lack of quality in certain areas,” he told Football Insider.
“You have Pablo Hernandez coming to the back end of his career and he is the one player that can produce that bit of brilliance. He is a standout player and he will need replacing.
“It will cost you money to get a player like Pablo Hernandez in his prime but it does make the difference.
“To complement that, you need a striker to get on the end of his passes and crosses from wide areas. That is going to cost money.”
