Phil Hay has been speaking on his podcast about how confident he is in Kalvin Phillips signing a new contract at Leeds United.
Phillips is such a crucial player to Marcelo Bielsa’s side, so much so that they’ve only won twice in 10 matches without the midfielder in the Premier League, with the latest one being the embarrassing defeat at Manchester United – and given he’s now an England regular, there’s no surprise that the Red Devils themselves hold an interest in him.
Are you concerned with Leeds' squad depth?
Yes
No
This reported interest may have intensified talks of a new contract for Phillips, however, that may not last too much longer, as Telegraph journalist John Percy has spoken to Phillips’ agent, who ‘can only see a positive outcome’.
Phillips’ future and how confident he is of the midfielder signing a new deal was discussed by Hay.
“I think I said a couple of podcasts ago, I already get the feeling that if this is a really difficult season for Leeds, that Phillips will still come out the other end of it as a better player.
“I mean, I do expect contract talks between him and Leeds to get going at some stage, I think it’s highly likely that this side of Christmas or you know, soon enough, there will be an agreement over a new deal. There’ll be work to be done on it and everything else, but it does seem like both sides are very willing about that.”
TIF Thoughts on Phillips…
With Phillips now a household name within the Premier League, which was aided by his appearances for England at Euro 2020, what may give Leeds an edge in terms of keeping him for longer is that he’s come through the club’s academy – so may have an affinity to them and a desire to stay for a longer period of time.
During his press conference this week, Bielsa was full of praise for the midfielder, saying: “He is a very valuable player. We have to adapt ourselves to how he feels belonging to Leeds and the manner he develops,” which highlights that the manager knows Leeds must keep improving year on year if they want to keep Phillips at the club long-term.
In other news: ‘Vital to us’, ‘No-brainer’, ‘Get it done ASAP’ – Lots of Leeds fans excited as news emerges