Kemar Roofe will be delighted at the progress he’s made this season at Leeds United, with the forward excelling under the rule of Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds are in the thick of the Championship’s automatic promotion race heading into the eight game run-in, and Roofe’s goals have been key to helping them there.

The 26-year-old has found the back of the net 14 times in 26 appearances, making him the club’s top goalscorer, despite him missing the last six games with a knee injury.

However, the forward’s contract is now in its final 18 months, with Football Insider confirming that Leeds are delaying reopening talks of an extension until the summer.

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Whilst that strategy is understandable given what is at stake at the moment in the Championship, it’s a risk in terms of Roofe and the forward might be feeling let down that fresh terms weren’t reached earlier in the season.

Across the Championship, Sheffield United swiftly moved to tie Billy Sharp down to a new contract, with their captain and top goalscorer the driving force behind their promotion push. Elsewhere, Teemu Pukki – who is Norwich’s top scorer – has the cushion of a contract until the summer of 2021.

So, for Roofe, it would be easy to understand his frustration that Leeds have not made more of a fuss about his goalscoring exploits and importance this season.

During the Christmas period he was in outstanding form, with late goals against Aston Villa and Blackburn securing six massive points. And, it isn’t just his goals that make him so important to Leeds, he works hard and links play extremely well.

It does feel strange that we are sitting here taking about how Roofe might be frustrated at Leeds, particularly after the year he’s had. But there aren’t many clubs that would’ve let their top goalscorer enter the final 18 months of his contract and then delay talks.

Things might be resolved in the summer and all this fuss is for nothing, but Roofe would be well within his rights to be frustrated by how long these contract negotiations are taking.