Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are among the clubs interested in a summer swoop for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
According to 90 min, Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips is seemingly in high demand in the Premier League, with Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal all monitoring his contractual situation at the Yorkshire club.
A Leeds United academy product, Phillips has had a spectacular rise to prominence under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa. He has been a great servant to his hometown club and has already established himself as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League since Leeds got promoted to the top-flight back in 2020.
To date, the ever-present midfielder has racked up 226 competitive appearances for the Whites, registering a tally of 14 goals and 13 assists in the process. He has also emerged as a full-fledged England international, having played a pivotal role in the Three Lions’ run to the UEFA Euro 2020 final last summer. So, it comes as no surprise that some of the biggest clubs in the country are queuing up to sign him.
Arsenal are the latest suitors to have entered the race to sign the Leeds midfielder. The Gunners have limited central midfield options following Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s loan departure to AS Roma last month. With Granit Xhaka unreliable, Mohamed Elneny out of contract in the summer, and Albert Sambi Lokonga yet to fully settle into English football, the Gunners could do well by bringing Phillips as a long-term partner for Thomas Partey.
Chelsea are unlikely to trigger the buy option included in Saul Niguez’s loan deal, with the player set to return to Atletico Madrid at the end of the season after a torrid spell at Stamford Bridge. And with both Jorginho and N’Golo Kante into their early thirties, the Blues could look to refresh their options in the middle of the park, making Phillips an enticing target given his age profile, and ability to dictate games.
Liverpool’s interest in the 26-year-old English playmaker makes a world of sense given that James Milner is in the final phase of his career, while captain Jordan Henderson has struggled for form of late and is into his thirties. Having played under similar intense pressing and high-risk front-footed system to Liverpool, Phillips fits Jurgen Klopp’s style of play and could be an incredible asset with his exceptional passing range.
Finally, Manchester United have also expressed an interest in the Englishman. Their weakness in the midfield department has been well-documented for a long while now and has not been helped by Paul Pogba running down his contract next summer. Phillips would not only be a direct upgrade on the likes of Fred, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay in the holding role but would also offer an added playmaking option from deep.
The 26-year-old is tied down at Elland Road until 2024, and the Whites have yet to return with a fresh offer after failing to agree terms with their prized asset last year. It will be interesting to see whether any of the clubs mentioned above make a move for the England international in the summer transfer window or he ends up staying put at Leeds United.
