Kalvin Phillips does not appear to see his future anywhere but at Leeds United, with his latest quotes reiterating he is fully focused on next season at Elland Road.
The midfielder, who established himself as a vital player for Marcelo Bielsa’s team, has strongly been linked with interest from Aston Villa .
The latest reports suggest United are to stand firm and hold out for a fee of at least £30m for the tough tackling academy product, more than double what Aston Villa were reportedly going to bid for him.
The Sun has suggested, unlike in years gone by in which the Whites allowed the likes of Lewis Cook, Charlie Taylor and Sam Byram go for relatively low fees, the club is now prepared to play hardball in order to keep its most prized assets.
This will be a source of frustration for newly-promoted Villa, who are looking to upgrade in key areas after winning the play-offs last season.
The latest also suggests they will struggle to sign Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings on a permament deal after the centre-half, on loan in the second half of the season, played a key role in their strong finish.
Phillips would fit the role of what Villa need, given veteran duo Glenn Whelan and Mile Jedinak have been released by the club and they are lacking options at the base of midfield.
It doesn’t appear his head has been turned by the prospect of Premier League football, as it sounds like he’s concentrating on going one better than last season with his boyhood club.
“The summer has been good, I’ve kept myself in shape and have been working hard and I’m just looking forward to the upcoming season coming now,” said Phillips, speaking to Leeds United’s official website .
“I’m very excited for Monday, the summer has been quite short, but I don’t mind that. As soon as I get back into football I am ready to go and I’m sure the rest of the lads will be as well."
The Whites return to pre-season training on Monday, just short of six weeks after the play-off heartbreak against Derby County, while several players, including Mateusz Klich, Ezgjan Alioski and Pontus Jansson, carried on playing well into June on international duty.
Bielsa’s pre-season training methods are notoriously demanding , but with a settled squad the players should have more of an idea of what to expect this summer.
“I’ve been in touch with most of the guys, speaking about holidays and a few of the injured lads who have been in at Thorp Arch and I’m really looking forward to seeing them all” said Phillips.
“Last pre-season was one of the toughest I’ve ever been part of and I don’t expect anything else this time around.
“The coaching staff and manager know how to get us into shape for the way we want to play and I’m sure the lads will all buy into it again and we can have another good season.”
