Tom Pearce will be signing a new contract with Leeds, according to Sun journalist Alan Nixon.

The 20-year-old's contract was due to run out at the end of this season, but Paul Heckingbottom gave him a chance with his debut in the first-team and the team realised that they had a talented prospect.

Therefore, the priority has been to get a new deal sorted for him because his form has attracted Premier League suitors.

Pearce's performances has also seen him rewarded with his first call-up to the England U-21 squad for the Toulon tournament, so this is an exciting part of his career.

However, he has to make a huge decision because Leeds have shown their desire to keep him, so he has to choose between playing time or a big move to a Premier League side.

The Verdict

This is good news for Leeds fans because it ensures that they get a decent fee for Pearce at the very least if the Premier League clubs stay interested.

Letting him go as a free agent would have been a huge mistake because they were only due a small compensation fee and it wouldn't have looked good on the board for a talented academy graduate to leave in that manner.

Heckingbottom's trust in the younger players has already started to produce results with Pearce being the main example, so maintaining that pathway to the first-team is important.