Major blow for Manchester United as Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips prefers a move to arch-rivals Liverpool.
According to Fichajes, Manchester United have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips.
The English international has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the league under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa. He isn’t just a leader on the field but also among the best English defensive midfielders around.
The Red Devils have preferred to use Fred and Scott McTominay as their double pivot in recent times. While the duo puts in the effort and is not afraid to do the dirty work, they lack the ability to help United compete at the top. While Phillips certainly fills that bill, he appears to have no intentions of moving to Old Trafford.
To make matters worse for United, he could be open to a move to Liverpool. This would be a double whammy for the Red Devils, who won’t just miss out on the player but also see their arch-rivals land him instead.
Jurgen Klopp is keen to add to his midfield and could do with a player of Phillips’ abilities. Liverpool have a sensationally experienced midfield with the likes of Jordan Henderson, Thiago Silva and Fabinho, among others pulling the strings. However, all is not rosy looking forward. Henderson, Thiago and James Milner are all in their thirties and will need to be replaced sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have often suffered from injuries, limiting their availability for large sections of seasons gone by. Phillips, however, is not the only player on Liverpool’s radar. The Reds are also eyeing Brighton & Hove Albion star Yves Bissouma. The Malian continues to showcase his abilities regularly and is grabbing considerable attention from some of the best teams in the land.
While either player would add youth and zest to the Liverpool midfield, Phillips will also help the club meet the quota of homegrown players. With Henderson heading towards the final years of his career, he could mentor the 25-year-old to eventually take his place in the middle of the park for both England and Liverpool.
The Reds already have the likes of Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, who could go on to become key players for them in the future. Adding Phillips into the mix will hand the midfield more balance both in terms of talent and muscle. Leeds and Manchester United are not the best of friends, and there have been very few direct transfers between the two sides in recent years. Whether this further puts the ball in Liverpool’s court for Phillips remains to be seen.
