Leeds United move '˜should be a no-brainer for Man U's Fletcher'

The 20 year-old turned down the offer of a new contract at Old Trafford last week, clearing the way for a transfer to the Championship this summer.

But Leeds need to demonstrate to Keighley-born Fletcher that “everything is in place and that the club is going in the right direction”, Whelan says.

Writing in the Yorkshire Evening Post, he adds: “You have got to really sell it to him, and get him over the line as quickly as possible.”

Whelan also says Leeds should have been more proactive in bidding for Bournemouth’s Tommy Elphick, who has now gone to Aston Villa.

He says: “We have lost out on [him] and I think if we were interested we should have really gone for the jugular.

“We seemed to want this player and if you want them then go and get them.

“That’s what other teams are doing. They see the potential, they see the strength and are not slow in acting because other teams will be looking.

“You’ve got to get in there first, sell the club to the player and then get him in the line, get him in the team.

“I think Elphick and [Liam] Cooper would have been a great partnership but you’ve got to act quickly.

“Big clubs like Villa will not mess about. They want to strengthen and get their team together as quickly as possible so that they have got every base covered come pre-season.”

But Whelan says Oxford’s asking price of £3m for Kemar Roofe is too high.

He says: “Is that too much? I think with just one good season behind him it probably is, yes.

“When you have had one good season I guess you can demand a higher transfer fee but consistency is key. Anyone can have one good season but you have got to be doing it week-in, week-out and remembering that Chris Wood was £2m, it’s a lot to be paying for pretty much an unknown.”