Saturday 16 January 2016 17:28, UK
Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal hopes Gary Hooper will be able to stay at the club after scoring both goals in the 2-0 win over Leeds.
Hooper is scheduled to return to parent club Norwich next week and signed off, possibly, by scoring twice in the space of three minutes early in the second half at Hillsborough to take his goals tally to six in as many matches.
Fellow Wednesday strikers Fernando Forestieri and Atdhe Nuhiu, defenders Jack Hunt, Barry Bannan and Glenn Loovens, plus midfielder Sam Hutchinson all signed new long-term deals with the club this week and Portuguese Carvalhal is keen to keep Hooper.
"He was my first choice since the beginning and I'm sure he's happy here," Carvalhal said. "He's scoring goals because he's enjoying the way we're playing.
"I'm not worried. We win games without Gary, we win games without Fernando [Forestieri], we win games without [Barry] Bannan.
"Of course, if you said to me if I want Hooper, Fernando, Bannan, I'd prefer them all to stay, we'd be stronger. The negotiation part is out of my hands.
"I'm an optimist about the situation because the player likes to be here and enjoys the way that we play.
"I advise my technical team but I'm not involved in negotiations. I don't get involved in money or agents. With this, it's in the hands of the chairman."
