BRENTFORD have started contract talks with left-back Ryan Dickson in a bid to fight off interest from a string of sides.

League One rivals Leeds United are the latest club to be linked with a move for the former Plymouth Argyle flyer.

However, although Brentford may well soon receive an offer they can’t refuse for the 22-year-old, they want to tie him down to a new deal as his current one expires in the summer.

This could drastically reduce his value when the transfer window opens in January, or in a worst-case scenario, could risk the fee being decided by a tribunal next summer as he’s under 24.

Dickson was coy about the interest being shown in him by Leeds after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Exeter, where he was one of only a handful of players to emerge with any kind of credit.

He said: "It’s not for me to say really [about the Leeds links], but an offer of a new contract has been made to me and I’m in talks with the club at the moment."