Leeds preparing contract offer for Kalvin Phillips amid Premier League interest

Leeds United are ready to open talks with England star Kalvin Phillips over a new long-term contract, 90min has learned.

Phillips still has more than three years left on his current deal, but signed that contract whilst the club were in the Championship and well before his first England cap.

Now the 25-year-old is in line to more than double his wages, given how his standing has increased in the game in recent months. Phillips is an England regular under Gareth Southgate and played an important role in the Three Lions' run to the final of Euro 2020.

Phillips could become the first Leeds player to breach the £100,000-a-week earnings barrier, should he extend. Currently Raphinha and Patrick Bamford, the latter of which recently signed a new deal of his own, are the club's top earners on the playing staff at around £70,000-a-week.

90min understands that Phillips is ready to talk, and would ideally like to sign a new deal at Leeds - but is also aware that he is earning a fraction of some of his international colleagues.

Leeds have a solid pay structure in place but also know that Phillips needs moving to the top of that if he is to sign fresh terms.

A number of Leeds' Premier League rivals are aware of his situation. Sources have confirmed that the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are keeping tabs on the midfielder, but the expectation is that Phillips will sign a new deal in West Yorkshire.

Leeds do have a trump card in the fact that Phillips is very close to manager Marcelo Bielsa, and the player revealed earlier this week that he had gifted the Argentine one of his England shirts as a thanks for the part he played in getting him into the Three Lions squad.

Earlier this summer Bielsa heaped praise on Phillips, comparing him to some of his previous charges such as Diego Simeone and Gary Medel.

"In the national team from Argentina he plays like Simeone and [Matias] Almeyda," Bielsa told Stadio Astro. “From Chile he plays like Medel, I have managed different players in this position with the same quality of Phillips, in this moment Phillips is at a big level in this position around the world.”