Leeds United’s transfer window this summer is going to look very different if promoted back to the Premier League, with the calibre of targets likely to be far higher than a Championship side’s summer.
Leeds remain in the hunt for automatic promotion at the end of the season. With three games to play, Daniel Farke’s men sit third – just one point behind Leicester City, and two behind leaders Ipswich Town.
Promotion is a real possibility and has been for some time. If the club do go up, then Premier League players, or players of that quality, will be targeted by The Whites. One could be midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
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Reports had already loosely linked Leeds with a possible move to bring Phillips back to Elland Road. It comes after struggling for game time at Pep Guardiola’s Man City, following his Leeds exit in 2022.
He cost City a fee of £42m, plus £3m in add-ons. But after just 31 games in 18 months at City, he was allowed to leave on loan in January and he chose West Ham. But he has flopped over at The Hammers.
Mistakes against Manchester United and Bournemouth that led to goals, a red card against Forest and conceding a penalty in the loss to Newcastle has seen Phillips come under fire from Hammers fans. Not a good start. A permanent move seems very unlikely.
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Well, just two years after his exit, it might be that the England midfielder returns to Leeds – his boyhood club, where he played 234 times. The Mail say Leeds are keen to do a deal, if the club are promoted.
However, there are caveats to a deal. Man City want £30m for Phillips, and Leeds are unwilling to commit to that – and his £150k-a-week wages – as a newly-promoted club. Instead, Leeds are eyeing a loan deal.
But there is no doubt that if Leeds did make a move to re-sign Phillips, it would go down well with fans. A hero of Marcelo Bielsa’s side. But of course, Leeds must go and get promoted, before anything happens.
Phil Hay said, though, that with promotion there is a chance. Andy Townsend recently said that if Phillips was going to reignite his career, he could only do so back at Elland Road. Fingers crossed, it happens.
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