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Warnock delivers verdict on future of Leeds duo

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Stephen Warnock has claimed that Kalvin Phillips could leave Leeds United in the summer transfer window if the Yorkshire giants fail in their bid to win promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds look as though they will have to settle for a place in the play-offs as two defeats in their last two games have seen them drop out of the automatic promotion spots.

That is an issue when it comes to the future of both Phillips and Jack Clarke, who according to Football Insider, are wanted by Bournemouth.

It is understood that the south coast club is plotting a double raid worth £25million, and Warnock believes that Leeds’ best chance of hanging onto the two young stars is to achieve promotion.

“I think if Leeds go up, neither of them will leave. If you’re playing Premier League football for Leeds United, there’s not many bigger clubs within the Premier League,” Warnock told Football League World.

“The only thing that will tempt them to leave is if they don’t go up, that’s something that they’ll have to decide on then. Playing Premier League football is what every kid dreams of doing, and they will be no different.

“Kalvin, especially, is a very good player. He was a good player when I was at the club, but he’s gone up another level under Bielsa.”

OPINION

Although their promotion bid has been almost derailed in the last week, Leeds have had a very impressive season and players like Phillips and Clarke have been real stand-outs at Elland Road. When two young English players do well then there are bound to be teams interested in them. Even if Leeds win promotion to the top-flight it might be hard to keep hold of some of their stars, simply because there are teams in the Premier League who are established there and could offer a lot more money than the Whites. Hopefully that does not happen, but simply winning promotion is not always good enough to keep hold of players. Missing out on promotion will be an issue for the Whites though because Phillips and Clarke definitely have the ability to one day play for decent top-flight clubs. They could do with another year or two as mainstays at Elland Road first, but the shining lights of the Premier League can attract players like a moth to a flame.

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