Leeds United: Playmaker Hernandez ready to sign new two-year deal with the Whites

The Spaniard will bring a halt to negotiations and speculation over his future by committing himself to Elland Road until 2020.

Hernandez is two games away from the end of his current contract and was in a position to leave United on a free transfer this summer, two years after first arriving in Leeds.

The midfielder has shone in a disappointing Championship season for the club, scoring nine times, and he is likely to claim their player-of-the-year award after the last game of the term at home to Queens Park Rangers.

Hernandez’s future was left unresolved until March but Leeds opened discussions with him after head coach Paul Heckingbottom informed their board that the 33-year-old was part of his plans for next season.

United first brought Hernandez to England in 2016, signing him on loan from Qatari club Al-Arabi before making his move permanent the following January.

Hernandez, whose career began at Valencia and later took him to Swansea City, made his 80th appearance for United in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Barnsley and his decision to stay would be a boost for Leeds ahead of the start of the transfer window.

Heckingbottom insisted last week that he was hopeful of seeing Hernandez sign, saying: “I’ve had chats with Pablo in terms of football, him, us as a club and everything was positive.

“Pablo’s driven by football rather than money and things like that. He’s driven by his heart. He likes it here. So things like that are positive, always.”