Alex McLeish has made a worrying transfer claim on Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

What's the talk?

The former Premier League manager has claimed that it would be hard for the Leeds midfielder to turn down Manchester United.

The Red Devils are reportedly interested in a swoop for the England international and McLeish believes that Phillips' head could be turned.

He told Football Insider:

“It will be tough for him to turn it down, 100%.

“Jack Grealish was a fan of Aston Villa all his life, but he had his head turned by a dominant club like Manchester City.

“It’s the same thing – if United come and go all the way with their interest, it is hard for him to stay.”

Concern

This claim from McLeish will surely leave Leeds fans feeling scared about the midfielder's future at Elland Road. Whilst supporters will want to believe that Phillips would reject any team to stay at his boyhood club, McLeish makes an excellent point regarding Jack Grealish - who was in a similar position.

The prospect of playing Champions League football and competing for the top trophies year-in-year-out could be a tantalising one for Phillips, which is why his head could be turned by United. This is a concerning thought for the Elland Road faithful as they start to ponder life without the England international in their midfield.

During the European Championships, Italian icon Andrea Pirlo compared Phillips with Jorginho and labeled both of them as being the 'rock'. He said:

“Both players do such a good job protecting the defence and being that rock in midfield. Often this job can go unnoticed – but I think they have both been recognised this tournament and rightly so.”

The £35k-per-week Leeds beast showcased his quality on one of the biggest stages in football, starting seven games as England reached the final of the Championships. This explains why other teams are taking an interest in his services and why Victor Orta may be a very busy man in the next couple of transfer windows.

Leeds fans will be hoping that Phillips demonstrates his loyalty to the club by rejecting offers to join Champions League teams to help the Lillywhites get to that level themselves. However, until they have weathered the storm and see that he is still a Leeds player, there will surely be concern over his next step.

AND in other news,  Orta must sanction Leeds deal for £42k-p/w "machine", Bielsa would love him...