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Could Afobe’s Wolves switch hand Leeds boost over Abel Hernandez?

Abel Hernandez of Hull City celebrates scoring his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Hull City and Middlesbrough at the KCOM...
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Leeds United are amongst the sides chasing Abel Hernandez this summer, but perhaps Wolverhampton Wanderers are now out of the running.

Hull City's Uruguayan striker Abel Hernandez celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the English Premier League football match between Hull City and Middlesbrough at the KCOM...

According to a recent report from the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds have placed Abel Hernandez right near the top of their list of potential targets for this summer as Paul Heckingbottom looks to bolster his striker options.

The Yorkshire Evening Post reports that Hernandez is out of contract at Championship rivals Hull and the Whites are confident of being able to fund a move for a forward who earned £40,000-a-week at the KCOM Stadium.

Paul Heckingbottom Leeds manager gestures during the Sky Bet Championship match between Derby County and Leeds United at iPro Stadium on February 21, 2018 in Derby, England.

It appears therefore, that the major stumbling block preventing Leeds from completing a deal could come from other clubs’ interest in the Uruguayan.

TEAMtalk recently reported that Premier League-bound Wolves are also eyeing a move for Hernandez, while Leeds Live have suggested that Aston Villa are keen having previously been linked with a £20 million pursuit.

It appears that Villa’s hopes of signing Hernandez may have largely depended on Steve Bruce’s men getting promoted as the Daily Mail reports that Tony Xia now needs to plug a £45 million hole to avoid the club breaching Financial Fair Play rules. A free transfer for Hernandez may perhaps still appeal, but the wages surely push the Villans further back in the queue at best.

Benik Afobe of Wolverhampton Wanders scores the second goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Reading at Molineux on March 13, 2018 in Wolverhampton,...

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk’s report on Wolves’ interest suggested that Nuno Espirito Santo was only likely to go after Hernandez as an alternative to Benik Afobeand with Sky Sports reporting that the forward has turned his loan to Molineux into a £12.5 million permanent switch, it would appear that they may also be about to take a backseat in the race.

Of course, Leeds cannot afford to become complacent and take their time to make something happen – it would be foolish to assume that only three clubs have been in the serious running – but perhaps the Whites can feel a lot more confident that their path to Hernandez’s signature is now a lot clearer than it was a week ago.