Iwan Roberts says Swansea City have shown naivety by failing to secure the futures of Ben Cabango and Harry Darling at the Championship club.
Swansea are trying to convince the two centre-backs to sign new contracts as their current deals expire at the end of the season.
Head coach Luke Williams said last week the ball is in Cabango’s court after a club presentation designed to persuade him to stay, while a similar meeting is scheduled with Darling.
Former Wales striker Roberts says the duo could not be blamed for holding out to see what options they have in January – when they will be free to talk to clubs outside the English league – or when they become free agents at the end of the season.
“The only thing – and it is a gamble when you are down to your last few months – is if you pick up a bad injury between now and the end of the season, that really throws a spanner in the works,” Roberts told this week’s Feast of Football podcast.
“But if I’m those two now, if there haven’t been real negotiations until now, I’m thinking I’m going to wait, I am going to see what options I’ve got in January.
“You can speak to clubs abroad in January, you have the right to, but they will be speaking to clubs in this country as well.”
Swansea have seen the likes of Ryan Manning and Joel Latibeaudiere leave in recent memory after their contracts were allowed to run down.
And Roberts fears the Championship club’s efforts to secure Cabango and Darling may prove to be “too little, too late”.
“I think it’s really naïve of the football club to let them get into this situation,” he added.
“Surely you would have been sitting down with them both last summer, not now?”