Leeds United journalist Phil Hay has been discussing Kalvin Phillips and his contract situation at the club.
Having come through the club’s academy system, Phillips has gone on to establish himself as a crucial member of the Leeds United side. Once described as the ‘lynchpin’ of the team, the 26-year-old’s absence through injury has been sorely missed this season as Leeds find themselves near the bottom of the table.
His performances have brought the attention of a number of clubs, with a recent report from The Times claiming that Aston Villa were the ‘frontrunners’ to sign him this summer in a £60m deal, whilst it was reported by The Sun that West Ham had tried to sign him in a £55m deal during January.
However a recent report from The Mirror “Phillips has handed Leeds a massive boost in their efforts to hold on to him by saying he is prepared to sign a new contract with them this summer.”
Speaking on the latest edition of The Phil Hay Show (48:01), Hay claimed that it would appear as if the feeling is very much mutual between Phillips and the club in that they also want to sign him to a new deal as well, but did hint that just because Phillips wants to stay now, that doesn’t mean that he sees him staying at the club forever:
“The club would like to sign him to a new deal. And I think they kind of have to in this window coming up if he isn’t going.
“Because clubs tend to see two years out from the end of a player’s deal, particularly if they’re a high-value player as a critical point where you either extend or you see them potentially run down to 12 months to go, at which point the value is fairly majorly diminished and they are very, very close to becoming a free agent, which is not a scenario you want to happen with a player who should be worth a lot of money and should be bringing in a lot money if you decide to let them go.
“My impression with Phillips has always been that he would be happy to extend, although clearly there will be interest with him and again, he must have ambitions to play beyond the level that Leeds are at in the Premier League at the moment.”
TIF Thoughts on Phil Hay’s comments about Kalvin Phillips at Leeds United…
Will the club sell Phillips this summer?
Yes
No
So based on Hay’s words, it looks as if there might be some happy medium that the club can agree to when it comes to Phillips’ future.
Hay’s words hint at the idea that clubs will want to protect the value of someone, whilst also understanding that they can’t necessarily hold them back forever, so perhaps if they come to a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that they will agree to sign Phillips on for the foreseeable future but with the understanding that if the right offer comes in, perhaps from a team that plays European football regularly that they will let him leave.
That way everyone kind of gets their way in the matter, even if it does mean Phillips leaves the club that he has supported since he was a boy, but at least he will get some career progression out of it at the same time.
In other news: ‘Important’ – Fabrizio Romano reveals big ‘information’ he’s ‘received’ about Leeds