BRADFORD City joint-chairman Mark Lawn has confirmed the club have turned down an approach from Sheffield United to speak to manager Phil Parkinson.

As exclusively revealed in today's Telegraph & Argus, the Blades approached City yesterday about Parkinson's availability after they sacked Nigel Clough earlier this week.

But Bradford are desperate to keep Parkinson, 47, at Valley Parade and Lawn publicly stated as much this afternoon.

"It's true we've been contacted by Sheffield United," he said.

"They want to speak to Phil, but we've turned their request down. We've made it perfectly clear that we want Phil to stay."

Parkinson has one year remaining on his contract and it is understood he would not be allowed to leave without a financial settlement being reached with a prospective new club.

When asked if Bradford's board will open talks with Parkinson over a new deal, Lawn added: "That's up to Phil.

"We'd be happy to do that. He has another year left on his contract and he knows we always look to negotiate new contracts at the end of their terms."

Lawn refused to comment on whether Parkinson had a get-out clause in his deal that the Blades had failed to activate.

"I'm not willing to discuss the finer points of Phil's deal," he added.

Parkinson penned a three-year deal at the end of the 2012/13 season after leading Bradford to the League Cup final and to promotion from Sky Bet League Two.

He guided the club to a seventh-placed finish in League One this season, missing out on the play-offs by four points.

Clough paid the price for the Blades' failure to win promotion via the play-offs as they recently lost out to Swindon in the semi-finals.

The South Yorkshire club, searching for their eighth manager since being relegated from the Premier League in 2007, will embark on a fifth campaign in the third tier next term.