Leeds United have been linked with George Hirst in 2017.
Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri has told Owlstalk that striker George Hirst has no intention of signing a new deal with the club amid interest from elsewhere.
Hirst, 18, the son of former Wednesday hero David Hirst, has come up through the ranks at Hillsborough, and has impressed with Engalnd at youth level, hitting 15 goals in 24 games for his country.
However, the striker has been frozen out at Hillsborough over his contract situation, as he has refused to sign a new deal, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Now, Chansiri has confirmed to Owlstalk that Hirst is expected to leave in the summer having refused to sign a new contract, admitting that Wednesday turned down bids from Premier League clubs and even one ‘local Championship club’.
The Daily Mail recently claimed that Leeds United remain interested in signing Hirst after a failed approach, with the general consensus being that it was the Whites who Chansiri was referring to.
Whilst Wednesday were able to rebuff Leeds in the summer, the Owls will lose control over his future in 2018, and he can pen a deal elsewhere inside the last six months of his deal with the Owls.
Given Hirst’s age, any club that sign Hirst would have to pay a compensation fee when his deal ends, and whilst Wednesday could be difficult in terms of the fee they could command, that would lead a move heading to a tribunal, which would again take a fee out of Wednesday’s hands.
Leeds can make the situation into even more of a nightmare for Wednesday by rekindling their move for Hirst in 2018, and Wednesday may live to regret snubbing Leeds’ first offer last summer, as they are set to lose control over their prodigy’s future.
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