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Leeds land major boost in bid to retain £20m ace after club expert’s reveal – report

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Leeds have landed a major boost in our hopes of retaining Kalvin Phillips amid growing interest from the Premier League, as Noel Whelan has told Football Insider that the 23-year-old wants to stay at United.

We still face heavy competition for the defensive midfielder’s services, though, as the Whites product is thought to have been subject to a £14million bid from recently-promoted Aston Villa, after Villains boss Dean Smith placed the 5 ft 8 star among his top targets.

Wolverhampton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth have also been credited with interest in Phillips following his stellar efforts at Elland Road on route to the Play-Offs, although reports which claimed knowledge of Eddie Howe’s interest suggested the Cherries would present a bid of £25million for the midfielder and his fellow academy graduate Jack Clarke.

Like Phillips, Clarke has been slapped with a £20million asking price amid substantial links with a summer switch to Tottenham Hotspur.

A move for Phillips may not be necessarily gaining the same momentum, though, as club expert Whelan understands the player’s camp are pushing for a new contract with the Whites.

“It’s still very early doors in the transfer window and [with] Phillips’ contract negotiations,” he said. “There’s going to be interest in Kalvin, because he’s a specialist midfield anchorman, who is developing into a top player after last season.

“I know Wolves, Bournemouth and Villa are interested, and I also know Kalvin wants to stay at Leeds. Can Leeds offer him something to keep him at the club?

“Kalvin will want a better contract and a better quality of player joining this summer.

“Leeds need to show him they are ambitious and well placed to get promotion.”

Phillips featured in 44 of our 48 Championship games last term including the Play-Off Semi-Final ties with Derby County, in which he recorded a successful tackle on average every 31.8 minutes, a clearance every 32.6, and attempted a pass every 1.4.

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