Manchester City have been reportedly told to cough up around €70 million to sign Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United this summer.
According to transfer expert Rudy Galetti in his column for Tribal Football, Leeds United have apparently set a €70 million valuation for prized asset Kalvin Phillips, owing to Manchester City’s high level of interest in the English international following an injury-riddled Premier League season.
Following the arrival of Erling Haaland, the Premier League champions have shifted their focus to sorting out the midfield position. Manchester City are in the market for a midfielder who can replace Fernandinho, while Ilkay Gundogan’s contract is also expiring next year.
They were previously linked with a potential swoop for West Ham United’s Declan Rice, but it appears Leeds United and England playmaker Kalvin Phillips is firmly their top summer target. Pep Guardiola is said to be a huge admirer of Phillips’s dynamic ability to play the No. 6 and No. 8 roles and has made it known to Manchester City that he wants him in his refurbished team next season.
The Manchester City hierarchy now know how much they will need to spend to secure the services of the 26-year-old English international this summer. In fact, Pep Guardiola’s side are unfazed by Leeds’s €70 million asking price and are preparing to lodge an official bid in the coming days.
Regarded as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League, Phillips has been a star performer for Leeds in recent seasons. The English midfielder was crucial to Leeds’s promotion to the Premier League and impressed in his debut season in the English top-flight. His stellar displays from the middle of the park have seen him become a key player for England, playing an instrumental role in helping them reach the UEFA Euro 2020 final last year.
Phillips has been a loyal servant for his boyhood club over the years and has 234 competitive appearances to his name. But he could be looking to make the step up to a big club in England this summer. While the English international struggled with injuries last season, the impact of his absence on the Whites’ campaign was clear to see.
Phillips is contracted until 2024 at Elland Road, and Leeds are adamant about keeping hold of their star man. They are ready to offer him a lucrative long-term contract, but they face a major battle to hang on to their poster boy, with the player ready to leave the club. Leeds are bracing themselves for a mega-bid to arrive on their table as they look to reinvest in their squad to stave off relegation threat next season.
Aston Villa, West Ham United, Newcastle United, and Manchester United are among the other Premier League clubs vying for Phillips. However, the outside interest has not hampered advanced talks between Manchester City and Leeds, who want €70 million for Phillips.
The Citizens are understood to be firmly in the driving seat as they can offer the promise of regular UEFA Champions League football as well as a chance to be a part of a winning side capable of winning trophies from the get-go, having already won four Premier League titles in last five seasons.
