Chelsea have reportedly joined the race to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer.
The England international struggled with injuries during the 2021-22 season but still managed to register one goal and one assist in 23 appearances for Leeds in all tournaments.
Phillips made 18 Premier League starts as Jesse Marsch's side secured top-flight survival on the final day, but his contract at Elland Road now has just two years left to run.
In spite of his injury problems and Leeds' standing near the bottom of the table, interest in the 25-year-old's signature is still expected to be rife amid links with several Premier League clubs.
Manchester City and Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Phillips, who is also understood to be on the radar of Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
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Now, the Si & Dan Talk Chelsea Podcast claims that Chelsea have also emerged as contenders to prise Phillips away from Elland Road after his 12-year stint with the club.
However, Phillips recently insisted that he remains content at Leeds despite their relegation dogfight last term, and he does not anticipate an exit from the club before his deal runs out.
"I've made what I want to do clear. I've made my intentions clear. I want to be at Leeds and I'll focus on that until my contract ends. I'm not really worried about it too much," Phillips told BBC Radio Leeds.
"It's always been something I've been confident about sorting whenever it needs sorting. There's always going to be noise when you're an England international and you're playing for one of the biggest teams in the country, and I think until the end of the season, I'll be happy at Leeds and always will be."
Phillips has scored 14 goals and provided 13 assists in 234 appearances for the Whites since rising through the youth ranks, while he now also has 20 caps to his name for England.
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A recent report also stated that Leeds are optimistic about their chances of fending off interest in Phillips, but the two parties are still a way off agreeing a new contract.
Phillips was brought off the bench for the final 11 minutes of England's 1-0 defeat to Hungary in Saturday's Nations League clash and will be eyeing a start when the Three Lions face Germany on Tuesday evening.
Chelsea have seen two key midfielders in N'Golo Kante and Jorginho both linked with exits this summer, with the former believed to be a target for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
West Ham United's Declan Rice is still thought to be a priority for Thomas Tuchel's summer plans, but the former Blues youngster's £150m valuation is deterring potential suitors.
Monaco starlet Aurelien Tchouameni has also attracted the attention of several leading European clubs, including Chelsea, although Real Madrid are said to be at the head of the queue for the France international.
Ben Knapton
