Leeds United: Common ground key to Heckingbottom's first summer transfer window

He is still in post at Elland Road, the club’s head coach as it stands, but he got away over the weekend regardless, travelling to Greece for a fortnight in the sun. He left behind a debate about transfers and on-going uncertainty about what this summer holds for him.

Heckingbottom was reported to be facing the sack a month-and-a-half ago, just 12 games into his tenure but if Andrea Radrizzani, United’s chairman, is minded to bring about more change in the club’s backroom, he is yet to make Heckingbottom aware of his fate.

The former Barnsley manager, who has a contract to the end of next season, took a young Leeds squad to Myanmar for a much-criticised post-season tour of Myanmar earlier this month and was back at Elland Road for a few days of meetings last week, prior to the start of his holiday.

Radrizzani is out of the country and was not present at those meetings but Victor Orta, Leeds’ director of football, and managing director Angus Kinnear were both involved.

Heckingbottom voiced no complaints publicly about the tour of Myanmar but there was frustration on his part that time was lost to a commercial tour of the Far East.

Leeds are under pressure to strike the right notes in this transfer window having misjudged the requirements of the Championship before Radrizzani’s first season as owner. Heckingbottom submitted his own list of targets, though one of the names – full-back Andy Yiadom – went begging last week as Yiadom agreed a free transfer to Reading. Leeds were satisfied with their choice of right-backs and were reluctant to devote wages to another right-footed left-back.

Heckingbottom is also keen on Oli McBurnie, another player he worked with at Oakwell, but new Rangers manager Steve Gerrard is intent on signing McBurnie and Leeds have devoted their time to discussing a deal for a different forward, Uruguayan Abel Hernandez who is out of contract at Hull City.

The club believe they are capable of financing a contract for Hernandez, without the cost of a transfer fee or a signing-on package, but there is competition for his signature and Aston Villa could table a firm bid if they win the Championship play-off final this weekend.

United are also working on other players: Swansea City centre-back Kyle Bartley and Manchester City goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who spent this season at Norwich City and is wanted at Elland Road on a year-long loan.

Leeds have still not moved to activate an option to sign Carpi striker Jerry Mbakogu, despite negotiating an option to bring him to England. The feeling at Elland Road is that the security of Heckingbottom’s position depends on him and the club maintaining common ground on recruitment.

Heckingbottom flew out on holiday with transfer options on the table and the window still to catch fire. Precious little has been said about his future, other than by him, since talk of his sacking began and it was noted over the weekend that Claudio Ranieri – a coach who Radrizzani name-checked when he paid £500,000 to take Heckingbottom from Barnsley in February – had left his job as manager of Nantes.

Speaking to Sky three months ago, Radrizzani said: “For a moment I thought maybe I want someone with more experience, more seasons behind him, someone like a Ranieri kind of manager, but he’s obviously busy in France.

“But then, after I have seen Paul’s background, I’ve been convinced that his lack of experience can be compensated by his personality and motivation.”