Pablo Hernandez scored 12 Championship goals for Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United last season.
Pablo Hernandez is the man who makes Leeds United tick.
He sets the tempo, creates the chances and ekes the very best from those around him. In 39 Championship games last season, Hernandez produced 12 goals and 12 assists and, in truth, he was the clear front-runner for the club’s Player of the Year award.
But therein lies the problem. Hernandez is 34 these days and Leeds are running a risk attempting to rely almost solely on him for creativity in the final third.
It is no coincidence that Leeds’ performances, results and ability to open up opposition defences dipped alarmingly once Samu Saiz left in January, leaving an overworked and understandably fatigued veteran a shadow of his former self in the final few weeks of the campaign.
So even though Leeds have missed out to Bristol City in the £750,000 deal that saw Sammie Szmodics arrive at Ashton Gate, as reported by the Bristol Post, their interest in the former Colchester United talisman is a positive sign.
It seems that Leeds are attempting to ease the burden on Hernandez at last.
Flitting between an attacking midfield and a supporting striker role, Szmodics enjoyed a stellar 2018/19 campaign with 15 goals and nine assists in League Two. It remains to be seen whether he can make the step up to Championship level but, at just 23, he has a lot of time on his side in order to realise his undoubted potential.
And though Szmodics won’t benefit from honing his craft under Marcelo Bielsa, it seems that Hernandez’s days as Leeds’ only go-to creator might be coming to an end. This can only be a good thing for a side who will need to find some way to avoid a repeat of last season’s collapse.
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