Phil Hay has admitted that it was unclear whether Gaetano Berardi would have stayed with Leeds United next season, with the defender now facing nine months on the sidelines with an ACL injury.

Leeds has been Berardi’s home since 2014 and, alongside Liam Cooper, he is the longest serving player in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.

However, he is also the only first-team player at Leeds out of contract this summer and a nine-month lay-off after his ACL injury on Sunday is an added complication.

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The Athletic journalist Phil Hay had revealed Leeds did plan to offer Berardi a new deal ahead of the club’s Premier League return, but a back-up tweet did also cast doubt around whether the 31-year-old would have taken up that option given his previous desire to return to Italy.

Berardi has passed 150 appearances for Leeds during his time at Elland Road and has been heavily involved in the last two fixtures as the club have secured promotion back to the Premier League.

Bielsa brought Berardi into the side to replace the injured Kalvin Phillips as Leeds beat Barnsley 1-0 last Thursday, whilst the Swiss defender also started at Pride Park on Sunday as Leeds won 3-1.

However, an awkward fall around the half-hour mark led to Berardi being stretchered from the field, with confirmation of his ACL tear in his knee coming last night.

The Verdict

It’s a real tough situation now for Leeds and Berardi.

Whilst the defender might not have taken up Leeds’ previous offer, if there’s one on the table now, it surely makes sense to take it to ensure that he’s got a club for the new season.

However, there might also be a change in heart from Leeds, who will need to replace Berardi for a season in the Premier League.

There’s lots to consider and you’d hope Leeds would do the right thing by looking after Berardi, but even then, whether he’d accept their offer remains unclear.

Thoughts? Let us know!