Manchester United transfer target Kalvin Phillips reveals he wants to stay at Leeds United
Manchester United transfer target Kalvin Phillips has conveyed that he wants to stay at Leeds United despite links with a move elsewhere. His future has been subjected to discussions for quite a while, but he has ended such talk following this latest revelation.
Phillips is currently engaged in contract negotiations with Leeds to extend his current deal, which will expire in 2024. The talks are expected to wrap up at the end of this season, although relegation to the Championship could complicate things amidst interest from Man United and other Premier League sides.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds (h/t Yorkshire Evening Post), the England international has firmly expressed that he intends to stay with the Whites until the end of his contract. He further added that there are no worries regarding a renewal and is confident about sorting it out soon.
“I’ve made what I want to do clear. I’ve made my intentions clear. I want to be at Leeds and I’ll focus on that until my contract ends. I’m not really worried about it too much. It’s always been something I’ve been confident about sorting whenever it needs sorting.”
No chance for Man Utd?
The 26-year-old even goes on to address the news that keeps on talking about his future at Elland Road. He labelled them as mere “noise” and is adamant that he is currently happy with his life and that it would remain the same in the future as well.
“There’s always going to be noise when you’re an England international and you’re playing for one of the biggest teams in the country, and I think until the end of the season, I’ll be happy at Leeds and always will be.”
Now that the Red Devils have received a clear idea about whether a potential move is possible or not, it would be wise for them to look elsewhere. A transfer was always going to be difficult due to our bitter rivalry with the Yorkshire based club but with Daniel James going to Elland Road recently, there is still a line of communication between the two clubs.
What’s more, the PL ace is also very close with the Leeds fans, making things even more difficult for us if a move was on the cards. Now that we have received a clear picture, the board would be wise to not waste any more time as it is essential to identify alternative targets for this summer.
The Manchester side opted against strengthening the midfield last summer, which has certainly affected our sporting prospects throughout this season. We have often been overrun in midfield, and there has been a lack of control in several matches against big teams.
The dearth of options in the middle of the park against Liverpool was a major reason why we lost 4-0 to Liverpool. Fred and Scott McTominay, when fit, are decent but can arguably be upgraded on.
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We cannot afford to go another season like this, especially when the likes of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Nemanja Matic are set to leave after this campaign. Hence, the management must do their best to prepare for a midfield overhaul with Erik ten Hag taking control from the next term onwards.
Perhaps Donny van de Beek can use this opportunity to make his mark at Old Trafford but we can’t take any risks when it comes to stacking our team with quality options to challenge for silverware. Phillips, with his experience for Leeds and the England national team, would have been a good option but apparently, the deal looks very tough to get across the line now.
