Marcelo Bielsa once described the standout central midfielder as a “excellent” performer.
Leeds United had a very quiet January transfer window, with little movement in or out of Elland Road heading into the second half of the season.
Leo Hjelde was allowed to leave on a permanent basis as Championship rivals Sunderland moved in to sign the versatile defender.
Darko Gyabi, Luke Ayling, and Ian Poveda were also loaned out to Plymouth Argyle, Middlesbrough, and Sheffield Wednesday, respectively, while Djed Spence’s loan to Yorkshire from Tottenham Hotspur was cut short.
Daniel Farke then signed Wales international Connor Roberts from Premier League club Burnley on deadline day as his lone signing of the window, bolstering his options in the full-back position following Ayling and Spence’s departure.
The Whites are now apparently eyeing the summer transfer market, with the possibility of making a huge move for a former player if they earn promotion to the Premier League in May.
Latest Leeds transfer news.
According to Football Insider, Farke is considering a deal for Manchester City central midfielder Kalvin Phillips ahead of the 2024/25 season.
According to the article, if the Yorkshire club advances from the Championship, they will be in the ‘market’ to sign the England international on a permanent basis.
According to the report, if they get promoted to the Premier League, the Whites would spend handsomely in the summer, and they have already selected their former star as one of their main objectives.
According to Football Insider, Leeds expect Phillips to return to Manchester City at the completion of his current loan spell with West Ham United, after which he will be sold permanently at the end of the season.
However, the article does not specify how much it would cost to secure his services on a permanent basis this summer, or how much Leeds is willing to pay for him.
Before they consider the financial consequences of any move for Phillips, Leeds must first ensure that they get promoted back to the Premier League.
| Current Championship top six (25/02/24) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Position | Matches played | Points |
| Leicester City | 1 | 34 | 78 |
| Leeds United | 2 | 34 | 72 |
| Ipswich Town | 3 | 34 | 72 |
| Southampton | 4 | 34 | 67 |
| West Brom | 5 | 34 | 56 |
| Hull | 6 | 34 | 55 |
As shown in the table above, Farke’s side is now in the automatic promotion places and is thus on track for an immediate return to the top flight.
However, Ipswich are level on points with the Whites, and there might be many more twists and turns, with Southampton not far behind, with 12 games remaining until the conclusion of the season.
If Leeds manages to finish in the top two and return to the top of the English footballing pyramid, they may be able to upgrade current star Glen Kamara by signing Phillips.
Glen Kamara’s metronomic performances
The club swooped in to recruit the Finland international from Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers, and he has had an excellent season in the middle of the park.
FFC recently named Kamara the true hero of Leeds’ 3-1 victory over Leicester at Elland Road on Friday night, praising the 28-year-old master for his abilities both in and out of possession.
| 23/24 Championship | Glen Kamara |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 26 |
| Goals + assists | Two |
| Key passes per game | 1.2 |
| Tackles + interceptions per game | 1.9 |
| Duel success rate | 59% |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As shown in the table above, the former Arsenal prospect has demonstrated quality as a creator in midfield while also being a powerful presence off the ball, winning the bulk of his physical duels.
Kamara has also completed 93% of his attempted passes and averaged 7.28 progressive passes per 90, ranking him in the top 6% of his positional counterparts in the Championship this season.
These statistics reveal that the Leeds dynamo is a reliable possession player who looks to create for his teammates with progressive passing, as well as tackles and interceptions to help his team win the ball back.
Why Phillips could be an upgrade over Kamara.
Farke might, however, upgrade Kamara by securing a deal to sign Phillips, who has established his worth in the Championship and Premier League.
During the 2019/20 season, Leeds won the second tier title, and the English maestro made 37 league appearances for the team, catching the eye both in and out of possession.
Phillips, described as “excellent” by Marcelo Bielsa, averaged 1.8 critical passes and 4.0 tackles and interceptions per game for the Whites.
This means he made 0.6 more critical passes and 2.1 more tackles and interceptions per game for Leeds than Kamara has so far this season, indicating that he has the ability to contribute more to the team on both ends of the field.
The 28-year-old has also established himself in the Premier League, where he impressed under Bielsa during the 2020/21 season.
| Kalvin Phillips vs midfielders (via FBref) | |
|---|---|
| 20/21 Premier League (per 90) | Percentile rank |
| Tackles (2.74) | Top 12% |
| Interceptions (1.67) | Top 18% |
| Blocks (1.82) | Top 9% |
| Clearances (1.96) | Top 9% |
As shown in the table above, Bielsa’s ‘great’ star was defensively brilliant for Leeds in their first season back in the top flight, ranking strongly among his positional peers in a variety of crucial defensive indicators.
Phillips, as indicated by his Championship and Premier League statistics, is a better out of possession player than Kamara because he can regain possession considerably more frequently by disrupting opponent attempts.
That is an important trait to have in the top flight as a freshly promoted team because it would be unrealistic to expect them to move up and dominate matches in the same way they did in the second tier, which is why defensive strength is essential.
Phillips, who also made more critical passes per game than Kamara in his final season in the second division, may be a significant upgrade on the current Leeds star if he can return to Elland Road and regain his form.
One problem is that he has only started four Premier League games since the start of last season. At the age of 28, the gifted genius still has plenty of years to go and might regain match sharpness with a regular schedule of games in Yorkshire.
