Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City are among the clubs interested in Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
A recent report from Transfermarketweb suggests Manchester City are prepared to battle Liverpool and Manchester United in the race to sign Kalvin Phillips. The Leeds United midfielder has become one of the hottest prospects in the market, with major clubs across England hoping to land him at the end of the season.
A product of the Leeds United youth academy, Phillips has been a great servant for his hometown club over the years. The midfielder already has 226 competitive appearances to his name, and although a majority of them have come in the Championship, the player has enjoyed a swift rise to prominence in the Premier League over the last year or so.
Indeed, Phillips’ contributions in the middle of the park played a key role in helping Leeds United achieve a ninth-placed finish in the league last term. The 26-year-old was also a pivotal part of England’s Euro 2020 campaign, forming a solid midfield partnership with Declan Rice.
Due to his immense success over the past 18 months, many believe the Englishman could be on the verge of a move to a bigger club in the summer. He had been linked with a move to Manchester United for a long time, potentially as a direct upgrade for Fred and Scott McTominay. Recent reports even suggest that the Red Devils are poised to come up with a €70 million bid for the player next summer.
Liverpool are another club linked with a swoop for Phillips. The Leeds United star has been identified as an ideal man to replace Jordan Henderson in the long term. His experience of working in an intense pressing unit of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds also makes him a tactically compatible option for Liverpool, although the Reds are also in the market for Phillips’ international teammate Jude Bellingham.
Nevertheless, it appears both these Premier League giants are now set to face stiff competition for Manchester City in the pursuit of the 26-year-old. In Rodri, Manchester City have a reliable long-term replacement for the ageing Fernandinho, but Pep Guardiola is keen on splashing the cash on a new midfielder in the summer as Ilkay Gundogan is not getting any younger and has had injury problems.
Kalvin Phillips, with his wealth of experience in English football, coupled with his composure and crisp passing quality, becomes a desirable option for the Catalan tactician, who was reportedly turned down in his approach to sign Barcelona starlet Frenkie de Jong.
With Phillips’ growing reputation, more and more clubs are likely to enter the race for the 26-year-old’s signing. So, it will certainly be interesting to see whether he remains a Leeds United player come summer.
