Midfielder Pablo Hernandez secures 12-month contract extension at Leeds United

Pablo Hernandez will stay at Leeds United next season after securing a 12-month extension to his contract.
Pablo Hernandez.Pablo Hernandez.
Pablo Hernandez.

The midfielder, whose existing deal was due to expire next month, will remain at Elland Road until at least 2018 after United confirmed the news in their retained list this morning.

Hernandez spent the first half of this season on loan at Leeds from Qatari club Al-Arabi but signed a short-term permanent contract with the Championship club in January.

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The agreement included an appearance-related clause promising Hernandez another year with the club and the former Swansea City player activated it in a campaign which saw him claim six goals and eight assists.

Charlie Taylor.Charlie Taylor.
Charlie Taylor.

Hernandez is one of four senior Leeds players who were out of contract this summer.

Leeds have released goalkeeper Ross Turnbull and winger Jordan Botaka, both of whom joined the club in 2015 but failed to make a single first-team appearance this season.

Turnbull spent most of the campaign training with Leeds’ Under-23s while Botaka – a Congo international recruited from Dutch club Excelsior – was sent on loan to Charlton Athletic before the Championship term began.

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Left-back Charlie Taylor, meanwhile, has been offered a new two-year deal, a move which will guarantee United compensation when Taylor leaves Elland Road this summer.

Jordan Botaka.Jordan Botaka.
Jordan Botaka.

Taylor, who controversially refused to play in Leeds’ final game of the season, has signalled his intention to quit United and the club do not expect him to accept another contract.

Leeds are entitled to a fee for the 23-year-old on account of his age but were only able to claim compensation if they offered him a contract which matched his existing salary.

West Bromwich Albion are leading the race to sign Taylor and have already held talks with Leeds about a valuation for him.

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United’s loanees – Kyle Bartley, Hadi Sacko, Matt Grimes, Mo Barrow and Alfonso Pedraza – are returning to their parent clubs but Leeds plan to pursue permanently deals for Bartley and Sacko.

Charlie Taylor.Charlie Taylor.
Charlie Taylor.

The club have also released four players from their development squad – midfielders Billy Whitehouse and Alex Purver and defenders Jack Vann and Michael Taylor – but have taken up options to extend the deals held by Romario Vieira and Conor Shaughnessy.

New one-year contracts have been offered to Eoghan Stokes and Tom Pearce.