Jim White, Simon Jordan and Trevor Sinclair disagree on Kalvin Phillips’ Leeds United future
Jim White believes that Kalvin Phillips will play for either West Ham or Aston Villa next season amid interest from the pair in the Leeds United star.
Simon Jordan and Trevor Sinclair disagreed with their talkSPORT colleague however, with Jordan arguing that the Whites can argue that they are a bigger club than the others, and Sinclair expecting his Yorkshire roots to be key.
The Times reported this week that the club were due to offer the England midfielder a new contract to head off strong interest from the two Premier League rivals, with the player thought to prefer a stay at Elland Road.
Speaking on talkSPORT this afternoon (23 March, 12.20pm) Jordan said: “Losing players like Kalvin Phillips is not an option for them.
“I’d like to think he’d stay there, but you can make a case for all three of them.
“I would make a case if I was Angus Kinnear that the potential and size of Leeds is as big if not bigger than both those others.”
White responded: “But in terms of present day trajectory, West Ham and Villa are leaving Leeds in their wake.”
He later added: “I’m not so sure. I think he’ll either be in the shirt of Villa or West Ham at the start of next season.”
Trevor Sinclair then added: “I think we’re looking at it the wrong way. He’s a Yorkshire lad, he’s proud of his heritage and that club.
“If he feels the club are going to match his ambition there’s a good chance he’ll sign a new contract.
“I know his agent Kevin, I used to play with him at Blackpool. But if he doesn’t feel that [ambition] I think he will leave this summer.”
End the speculation
This question needs to be put to bed as soon as possible for the club to move forward.
It is certain that relegation is the first obstacle that needs to be avoided, as an established international star is not going to play in the Championship however much he loves the club.
Two big wins have brought that closer, but mathematical safety cannot come soon enough.
After that, surely Sinclair is right, that the boyhood Whites fan wants it to be made easy for him to stay.
He is going to need to see some evidence that United have plans in motion to avoid a repeat of this season’s mess first though.
He’s a fan favourite, and he developed at Elland Road, but he is too good to be fighting a relegation battle year after year.
If Jesse Marsch can keep the club up they should be able to secure the future of the 26-year-old.
There are more gaps to fill, but keeping Phillips around will be a major domino to fall in the bid to rescue the club’s recent fortunes.
In other Leeds United news, the club are in the hunt of an “assist-machine” to replace a Whites player struggling with injury.