Leeds United have agreed on an initial six-month loan deal with Qatari side Al-Arabi for Spanish winger Pablo Hernandez according to The Daily Mail. The Spaniard has passed a medical and is set to be unveiled as Leeds’ seventh summer signing, arriving on a temporary basis from Qatari club Al-Arabi as per the same report.
Al-Arabi signed Hernandez from Swansea City in 2014 where he used to alongside Leeds’ manager Garry Monk. The Spanish international began his career at Valencia and he became Swansea’s record signing when he moved to the Welsh club for £5.5m in 2012.
Leeds fans will be even happier with the news that the Whites have already negotiated a deal to take Hernandez permanently in the January transfer window as per reports. Garry Monk was brought to the club this summer to bring back the glory days at Elland Road. The former Swansea manager is well capable of firing the whites towards promotion and a few big transfers were expected from him. Hernandez definitely is a massive signing from the Yorkshire club.
166 La Liga appearances, 71 Premier League appearances- that’s the experience Leeds are getting with the Spanish international. During the last season, Leeds were craving for creativity and the Whites will finally have an established creator in the 31-year-old.
Monk has been putting his stamp on the squad and had already made six signings with Roofe, Sacko, Green, Grimes, Antonsson and Bartley so far this summer but Pablo Hernandez comes with a quality at a whole different level. The Spanish international is primarily a right-sided winger who can both create and score goals. However, at Leeds, he is likely to be deployed mostly as a number ten.
Leeds United do not have the best quality out wide but it is their creative department that needs Hernandez more. Now that the Spaniard is in his thirties, he has clearly lost a few yards of pace and won’t be able to do the damage from the flanks week in week out. But as a number ten, Hernandez would flourish thanks to his ability to pick out passes.
Pablo Hernandez is one of those rare breeds of footballers who are comfortable in shooting with either foot. With his copious top-level experience, Leeds would definitely benefit big time and the Spaniard could prove to be a deciding factor in the Whites’ bid for promotion.
