Leeds United fans will hate new Kalvin Phillips update – expert
Alan Hutton has suggested Kalvin Phillips could hold off on signing a new contract at Leeds United amid reported interest from Aston Villa.
The former Scotland defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the 26-year-old will be considering his long-term future ahead of the summer transfer window.
As reported by the Telegraph (3 April), contract talks between Leeds and Phillips have stalled, with Aston Villa preparing a summer transfer bid.
As revealed by this site last month (21 March), West Ham are also plotting a summer raid.
Phillips’ current deal runs until the summer until 2024.
Hutton suggested the midfielder would not want to commit to new terms with a potential move on the cards.
Asked about the prospect of Phillips signing a new deal at Elland Road, Hutton told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “I can’t see it, if I’m totally honest. Leeds fans won’t be happy with that.
“But in this situation at the moment, they’re eight points outside the relegation zone. There are still teams below them with games in hand.
“I think they’ve done enough and I think they will stay up. But for Kalvin Phillips, as a footballer moving forward, he’s very capable of taking a step up.
“He’s a fully-fledged international player. If he wants to keep that spot, he needs to be playing at a high level.
“Are Aston Villa at that level at this moment in time? No, they aren’t, but that’s where they’re trying to get to.
“To get to that next stage, they have to be looking at players like Kalvin Phillips to make them better. I totally understand why they’re going for him. It’ll be interesting to see if they could get over the line.”
In other news, pundit claims Leeds United attacker could be out for “eight weeks” after journalist update.