The Daily Star has recently mentioned that Leeds United have set a £60m asking price for Kalvin Phillips who has gathered interest from Manchester United over the past 12 months. It is understood that the Whites youth product fears that Marcelo Bielsa might leave the West Yorkshire club at the end of this campaign, so the talented midfielder could be open to joining the Red Devils in search of some trophies in the future.
Phillips’ Encouraging Form At Elland Road Last Season
The 25-year-old has grown into a dependable anchorman in central midfield for Leeds and usually enjoys dominating the opposition by making life difficult for them at the centre of the park. Phillips made 31 appearances for his current club last season, finding the back of the net once and earning three assists on all fronts.
The Leeds-born sensation proved himself to be a useful contributor at the heart of Bielsa’s midfield by averaging 2.6 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.7 clearances, 0.5 shots, 1.2 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per game in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign. He even distributed possession with conviction after completing 84.7% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
Phillips is only going to improve with each year which makes him a perfect choice for a top club like Man United. However, losing him to the Red Devils will be a bitter pill to swallow for the Whites as they would be letting him go to one of their nearest rivals.
Can The Whites Afford To Lose Phillips Next Year?
Phillips has established himself as one of the first names in Marcelo Bielsa’s teamsheet because of his growing influence at Elland Road. He has already become a favourite amongst the Leeds United supporters because of his desire to win possession back for his team in midfield.
The Three Lions star is usually quick to react to the danger and doesn’t mind working hard to help his teammates out at the back. He is not shy of putting his foot through the ball when needed and can even set up a few promising plays for others around him.
The Whites are currently in no position to sanction Phillips’ exit as they need their best players to stay if they intend to taste success in the long run. Bielsa doesn’t have enough quality in his squad to cope with the English midfielder’s absence next year. Unless the Yorkshire outfit can bring in a suitable replacement for Phillips, it is difficult to see how they can afford to let their prized asset leave even if Man United end up moving in for him in January or at the end of this campaign.
