Manchester City have reportedly been handed a major boost in their pursuit of 26-year-old Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who is ready to join the Cityzens.
According to Football Insider, 26-year-old English midfielder Kalvin Phillips has now informed Leeds United of his desire to join Manchester City, who could sign him as a replacement for outgoing club captain Fernandinho. Manchester City’s heightened interest in Phillips has been well documented in recent weeks, and the Cityzens are growing confident of agreeing a deal with Leeds United for the Englishman.
Phillips has been with Leeds since joining their academy as a 14-year-old back in 2010. Since then, the Englishman has come a long way, establishing himself as a key figure in the first-team setup at Elland Road and excelling under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa. He was a major driving force behind the Whites’ promotion to the top flight in 2020 and performed admirably in his debut season in the Premier League.
To date, the 26-year-old has made 234 competitive appearances for Leeds United, chipping in with 14 goals and 13 assists in the process. However, the Yorkshire outfit are in a precarious position over his long-term future despite him being tied until 2024 with the club.
Phillips struggled with injuries in his second season in the Premier League, making only 20 top-flight appearances. But that has not deterred clubs from showing an interest in the Leeds midfielder. A host of English clubs, including Newcastle United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham, Aston Villa, and Manchester United, have been monitoring his situation over the past year or so.
However, in recent weeks, Manchester City have emerged as the most likely destination after manager Pep Guardiola gave a green light to the pursuit. The Cityzens believe that a figure in the region of £45–50 million should be enough to lure the England midfielder to the Etihad Stadium this summer.
The English champions have now received a further boost as the player will push for the switch to happen if an offer does arrive on the Whites’ table. Phillips has been on international duty since helping Leeds retain their Premier League status, and has now checked out for his summer break. But he could be actively trying to push through an exit from Elland Road in order to join the Cityzens.
With the impending departure of 37-year-old Fernandinho, Manchester City are scouring the market for options to provide competition for Rodri. The Spaniard has proven to be a key player during his three seasons in the side. So, it is likely Phillips would struggle for minutes in his first season at the club, but there are plenty of benefits for the Cityzens to signing the Leeds United star.
Phillips would count as a homegrown player, is an international with two years of Premier League experience and may add a different dimension if the Catalan coach chooses to utilize a double pivot in special games to nullify oppositions. Elsewhere, Leeds are said to be closing in on the capture of defensive midfielder Marc Roca from Bayern Munich, which could be another indicator that they are bracing themselves for Phillips’ exit this summer.
