Jermaine Beckford has urged former club Leeds United to ‘fast-track’ Kalvin Phillips’ contract talks as some of football’s biggest names - including Manchester City - eye the midfielder. The 26-year-old’s future remains uncertain amid interest from Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions, who see him as a successor to the departing Fernandinho.
But the homegrown star has reportedly been very open about wanting to sign a new contract at the club, particularly after helping them secure another season in the Premier League with their final day win at Brentford. Phillips has resisted big-money offers before, rejecting a £40 million move to Aston Villa in the summer following the Championship playoff defeat to Derby County.
And while Beckford expects the likes of City and Liverpool to try and lure the midfielder away from Elland Road, the former Whites man added that the club should be doing everything in their power to keep hold of him.
READ MORE: Raphinha opens up on Leeds United future amid World Cup admission
“The situation with Kalvin is a bit trickier. If he stays, he is going to be playing week-in and week-out for Leeds United in the Premier League and he’s an England regular now too.” Beckford told the Mirror on Sunday in an exclusive interview.
“He loves playing for his boyhood club but if his contract situation is not resolved relatively quickly - and I would be tempted to fast-track it through - then naturally one of the top-four teams will come in for him.
“When you look at players like Fernandinho leaving Man City, and James Milner coming towards the end of his Liverpool career, you’ve got to ask ‘would they be interested in a player like Kalvin?’. The answer would probably be ‘yes’, but I don’t want him to leave because he’s a phenomenal footballer and an amazing human being.
“He’s doing the club proud and if I was there now. I’d be persuading him to stay on a daily basis. As it stands I’ve spoken to one or two of the other lads and told them not to let Kalvin go… and to handcuff him to the crossbar if they have to!”
Despite significant incomings at Elland Road, both confirmed and rumoured, the summer window is set to be engulfed by speculation around both Phillips and Raphinha. 21-year-old Brendan Aaronson came through the door for around £25 million just days after the Premier League final day, with Danish right-back Rasmus Kristensen set to follow his former teammate from RB Salzburg in the coming days for a fee believed to be less that £10 million.
But Brazilian winger Raphinha has been strongly linked with Barcelona for some time, and now Liverpool look to be back in the race following their growing resignation at the departure of Sadio Mane.
Those in charge at Elland Road have been clear from the off that they are likely to lose their talisman at some point in the next couple of years, but they have dug their feet in with demands of £60-70 million paid upfront.
And Beckford echoed the words of his former club: “Raphinha’s been one of the shining lights for Leeds during the past two seasons even after a couple of bad games here and there. He’s set his sights on challenging for a European trophy and you can’t blame him either.”
Leeds will look to tie down at least another striker and a central midfielder to bolster two areas that were exposed last season. They will also have contingency plans in place for the departures of one or both of Raphinha and Phillips - but they and Beckford will be hoping they won’t need them.
