Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United transfer blow as Kalvin Phillips leaning towards staying at Leeds United
According to The Times (Subscription Required), Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips is ready to stay at Elland Road and commit to a new contract at the club to extend his stay in Yorkshire, in what is a transfer blow to Manchester United.
Phillips has played his entire senior career for the Peacocks, coming through the ranks at the academy and slowly establishing himself in the first team as an important part of the midfield setup. He was a crucial part of the side that returned to the Premier League last season.
Man United have their own midfield struggles, failing to identify a lynchpin in the middle of the park who can help them solidify things on the pitch and protect the rearguard as well as supply the forward line with clever balls to keep things running. Phillips certainly fits this all-action style.
Phillips had been targeted as an ideal transfer candidate for the midfield role, given his influence in the Leeds setup. His performances at Elland Road also saw him become a regular in the England national team setup, where he played alongside Declan Rice as the duo led the Three Lions to the Euro 2020 final.
Phillips keen on staying
Any interest that United had for the Englishman has now taken a major blow, as it is said that Leeds want to keep hold of their star midfielder for a few more years. His current deal expires in 2024, and the Yorkshire club are now planning to offer him a new and improved deal to ward off potential suitors.
Not just this, but the 26-year-old is also likely to stay with his boyhood club by signing a new contract, which could see an increase on the £38,000-a-week that he currently earns at the club. This comes as great news for Leeds fans, who adore Phillips considering he is one of their own.
Despite being bitter rivals, United and Leeds have done transfer business before, most notably the signing of Eric Cantona by the Red Devils. Recently, we also saw Daniel James depart Manchester to join our PL opposition.
However, our hopes of signing Phillips from them seem to have gone up in smoke given recent news. The player has largely remained injured this season due to a hamstring issue, but that did not deter clubs like United, West Ham United, and Aston Villa from making offers for the England international.
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Our midfield has long been an issue, and our current crop of midfielders have failed to address this problem. Nemanja Matic is the only available defensive midfielder at the club, while Fred and Scott McTominay have been underwhelming for a couple of seasons to really make their mark on the pitch.
A midfield general needs to be snapped up this summer to bolster our side, otherwise, we risk running the same issues in the middle of the park as we have in past seasons. Hopefully, we identify an alternative for Phillips soon now that the player is intent on staying at Leeds.
