Bradford City joint-chairman Mark Lawn says the Bantams are keen to keep hold of striker Jon Stead - but fears he will have other offers when his Huddersfield Town contract ends.
The 31-year-old is on loan to the League I Bantams, who have the incentive of facing Arsenal at Wembley if they can win their FA Cup quarter-final replay at Reading.
Stead has been a star of City’s latest cup run, scoring in each of the previous five rounds, and helped Town win 2-1 at Reading in a Championship clash in August.
The Huddersfield-born Town academy product, who returned to the John Smith’s in 2013, will be a free agent this summer and Lawn said: “I’d love to sign him.
“But Jon is a mature professional who knows he is coming out of contract. He’s going to wait until then and see what options he’s got.”
City’s replay at Reading, which follows Saturday’s goalless draw at Valley Parade, takes place on Monday.
Holders Arsenal clinched their place in the last four with a 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Bradford beat Arsenal on penalties in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals in December 2012, when now-Town striker Nahki Wells was one of their stars.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said: “We’ve played Bradford before, we know about that.”
Town’s Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool, who replay at Ewood Park on Wednesday, April 8 after Sunday’s goalless draw at Anfield, will play Aston Villa in the other Wembley semi.
The two last-four games take place over the weekend of April 18/19.
