Coventry City manager Mark Robins has admitted the future of Leeds United target Gustavo Hamer remains ‘up in the air’ but is keen for it to be resolved quickly.
Robins was speaking to Coventry Live on Sunday following the Sky Blues’ opening day defeat at Leicester City, a game in which Hamer played 71 minute of.
Hamer has been heavily linked with a move away from Coventry this summer and has just 12 months remaining on his current deal at the club.
However, for as long as he remains at Coventry, Hamer will continue to be a key player and that was no different at the weekend as he produced a stand-out midfield performance despite his side’s defeat.
Hamer produced the assist for Kyle McFadzean’s opener early in the second half and was substituted with the score at 1-0, before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall netted a late brace to snatch all three points.
Robins admits future of Leeds target Hamer ‘needs resolving quickly’
City boss Robins was full of praise for Hamer after the game and once again reiterated his desire to keep him, though did admit his future remains ‘up in the air’.
He said: “I think everyone wants him to stay and it’s down to Gus, but at the end of the day he’s a human being and has got his own ideas. He’s been brilliant for us. I think, really, we have got to try and keep hold of him if we can but as I have said before, it’s really in his hands.
“We want to keep him, the supporters have made their voices clear today. I don’t know how Gus feels about that but he’s someone who just takes things in his stride and has a really good rapport with them and all the staff and players.
“Whatever happens, if he ends up moving on, it will hurt him for a while, there’s no doubt about that because he will miss it; everything that we have done together. But you have to look and say he has been phenomenal for us for three years and got better and better each season.
“And last season he single-handedly, really, got us into play-off contention and promotion contention, so his performances are incredible. Everyone saw that today when he came on. His quality and energy is something that we crave; we need and should that go then we need to replace that, if that’s what we have to do.
“Again, it’s still all to play for. It’s still up in the air, but that situation needs resolving quickly.”
Leeds remain in the market for both physicality and creativity in midfield and Hamer would bring both of those attributes in equal proportions.
Hamer is set to command a fee of £15 million to leave Coventry this summer and if Tyler Adams’ £20 million move to Chelsea goes through as planned, it would be a no brainer for Leeds to make their move.
Despite coming up against a Premier League-standard midfield trio for Leicester on Sunday, Hamer was still the best player on the park up until his withdrawal and he would represent a significant coup.
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