Here are your Leeds United morning headlines for Thursday, May 14.
Kalvin Phillips backed for Newcastle switch
Kalvin Phillips has been a mainstay of Leeds United's Championship challenge this season, starting 31 of their 37 league games.
While it is not yet clear how the campaign will be resolved following the coronavirus lockdown, Phillips is one player who should be playing in the Premier League next season. That’s the view of former England striker Darren Bent, as he told Football Insider.
“I think a lot of the top clubs will be looking at Phillips because he’s playing in the wrong division,” he said.
“He’s a boyhood Leeds fan, he loves Leeds but obviously everybody wants to play in the Premier League, it’s the biggest and best league, financially it’s the best league as well.”
Bent was asked which players the potential new owners of Newcastle should target, and suggested Phillips.
No resumption of training just yet
The EFL has advised clubs that their players should not return to training until at least May 25. This means the reported date of June 6 for the resumption of matches is unlikely to come to pass.
Following a meeting on Wednesday, the EFL issued clubs with the latest draft of their ‘Return to Training Protocols’ to ensure they prepare appropriately. And in a statement they released yesterday it was also noted that the league faces severe financial challenges going forward.
"Current attention is clearly on the immediate next steps, but the long-term impact on the League and its clubs remains as stark as previously outlined, and solutions are still required to fill the financial hole left by the crisis," it said.
"The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be rectified simply by a return to play behind closed doors."
Berardi expected to stay until end of season
Gaetano Berardi is Leeds’ only senior player whose contract expires on June 30. While it remains to be seen if he will stay at the club until the end of the season beyond that date, the club’s director of football, Victor Orta, hinted a solution would be found, when he spoke to Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague.
When discussing the issues faced by players whose deals terminate at the end of June, Orta said: “What does the player prefer?
“Go on July 1 when there is no market because people say the window doesn’t open until August?
“Or play for two months more with your team and collect your salary, plus, in our case, even a good bonus if we are promoted?
“It’s about good relations. We talk, in this moment, about helping each other. Helping the important people.”
