Transfer News: Manchester City beat Manchester United in Kalvin Phillips race
According to Manchester Evening News and popular Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano (via @David_Ornstein), Manchester City have agreed on a deal to sign talented English midfielder Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United, beating Manchester United to the signature of the player.
The Red Devils had been interested in signing the talented midfielder for quite some time now but it seems like the player has decided on moving to the other club in Manchester and playing under Pep Guardiola.
Phillips has been in the Yorkshire club’s ranks since 2014 and has gone on to become one of the best midfielders in English football. Developing his game under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa, there is not much that the talented midfielder can’t do on a football pitch.
Having seen the rise of Leeds United from the first division to the Premier League and being a key component in it, it feels like the English midfielder has decided to take the next big step in his career and move to a top club.
One of the very few players to represent England despite playing in the first division of English football, Phillips has played 23 times for the Three Lions to date and is one of Gareth Southgate’s most important players.
This season, the Yorkshire lad has suffered injuries which have in turn coincided with Leeds’ wretched run of form this season. The 26-year-old has played just 23 games this season across all competitions scoring one goal and providing one assist.
It is no secret that Manchester United are looking to bring in a new midfielder for next season with Frenkie de Jong rumoured to be the preferred target. Whilst their interest in Phillips is no new news, it is good in a way that this deal did not happen.
Phillips is an out-and-out Leeds boy and it seems extremely unlikely to think that he will leave the club he grew up at to join their bitter rivals Man United and spoil his reputation at Elland road. How the Old Trafford faithful would have taken to signing Phillips is also a question worth pondering.
There is no mistaking Phillips’ quality. He has the ability to become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League and under Pep Guardiola- don’t count against him becoming just that in the near future at Man City.
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Regardless, Manchester United can look at various other options to fill in the midfield void. Now that the Phillips saga is over, Man United can focus on other players to bring in and reinforce the midfield. It remains to be seen as to how they go about doing that.
