Leeds United are set to begin talks over a new contract with one of Jesse Marsch's key players in the next few weeks...

What's the word?

According to LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross, extension talks with winger Jack Harrison are "set to begin" in "the coming weeks", as he relayed on Twitter alongside an accompanying article.

The Englishman's £15k-per-week deal isn't set to expire until the summer of 2024 but his form for the Yorkshire outfit drew plenty of rival transfer interest during the summer window. Saudi-backed Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur were two teams circling, with the Magpies even putting forward a bid.

It's thought that his agent will sit down with Whites director of football Victor Orta in a bid to end the external noise heading into the final 18 months of his current contract.

Great news for Marsch

Harrison does seem as if he still wants to be around at the club, recently hinting at his openness to a new deal over in Spain, where Leeds are having a winter training camp during the World Cup break.

"I enjoy being here at the club, I love being here, I've been here a long time now and I'm almost part of the furniture here now," he said (via LeedsLive). "It's a great place to be, I'm happy to be here and I think my agent is coming over in the next month to sort something out with Victor. So we'll see what happens."

Whilst the former Manchester City graduate - who he signed from in a £10m deal - isn't enjoying the same heights as the last 18 months, he's still clearly a big part of Marsch's plans at Elland Road, especially as he's a player that the American knows well from his time in the MLS.

"He can run all day. He is explosive, he’s effective in 1-v-1s, he’s dangerous, he’s smart," the 49-year-old told reporters (via LeedsLive) soon after arriving at the club and he also revealed that he even once tried to sign him: "We tried to find a way to draft him from university. I knew who he was. It’s nice to be on the same team now."

After back-to-back eight-goal hauls across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, Harrison has struggled this term, with just one goal from 13 top-flight outings but Marsch has never lost the faith, with the winger starting three of their last four matches before the break.

TEAMtalk editor James Marshment once dubbed him "irreplaceable" and it's easy to see why as there would be little point in selling him, only to spend that money on another similar player. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Cross has previously described him as "the beast".

It's clear that the manager adores his tricky wide man, who the Leeds hierarchy reportedly valued at a whopping £35m in the summer, so any extension to tie him down for the foreseeable future is sure to be welcomed with open arms, perhaps to the point of Marsch being absolutely buzzing with it.

AND in other news, Forget Gakpo: World Cup "special talent" is exactly what Marsch is missing at Elland Road...