Leeds United might be a potential next destination for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Kalvin Phillips could return to Leeds United if the club secures an immediate return to the Premier League ahead of the 2024/25 season.
- The 28-year-old will have an important summer as he chooses his next moves after missing out on the last England selection.
- Phillips is currently on loan at West Ham United from Manchester City, but he has struggled to make an impact at the London Stadium and is unlikely to make the transfer permanent.
According to GIVEMESPORT sources, Leeds United might become the next probable destination for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who is presently on loan at West Ham United.
The Whites are seeking to make an instant return to the Premier League after being relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Head coach Daniel Farke has been charged with gaining promotion to the top level, and Leeds are now in a strong position to secure a spot in the Premier League next season. Phillips has struggled to regain the form he exhibited at Elland Road, but he might be ready for a remarkable return to his hometown club.
Phillips is evaluating his next actions following Man City’s defeat.
The midfielder missed out on the last England team.
According to GMS sources, Phillips, previously hailed ‘outstanding’ by Pep Guardiola, will have an important summer at the end of the 2023/24 season as he contemplates his future move. The 28-year-old signed Manchester City from Leeds in the summer of 2022 for a reported £45 million. However, Phillips has struggled for minutes at the Etihad Stadium and may want a permanent move elsewhere at the end of the season.
The City outcast joined West Ham on loan until the end of the season during the 2024 winter transfer window, but he hasn’t had the greatest of times at the London Stadium, and the Irons are unlikely to sign him permanently when his current contract expires. Several high-profile errors, as well as a red card, have caused Gareth Southgate to leave him out of England’s March friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
Phillips’ prospects of making the Three Lions squad that will go to Germany for EURO 2024 this summer are dwindling, given that Southgate has potentially 50 players to choose from. According to sources, if you are fit but have not made the current England squad, your chances of being selected this summer have ‘nosedived’.
Although a comeback is not impossible, Jordan Henderson, Conor Gallagher, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham are currently ahead of Phillips in the selection race.
| Kalvin Phillips – stats compared to midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues & UCL/UEL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistic | Per 90 | Percentile |
| Shots total | 1.69 | 85 |
| Passes attempted | 73.37 | 92 |
| Pass completion rate | 88.8% | 88 |
| Aerial duels won | 1.93 | 89 |
Phillips could consider returning to Leeds.
But a move to Newcastle is considered unlikely.
Phillips’ next steps may become clear by the end of the 2023/24 season. In February, writer Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that Newcastle United’s failure to sign the midfielder during the winter transfer window was a ‘huge setback’. However, GMS insiders believe the Magpies are unlikely to return for Phillips over the summer market.
However, if Leeds is promoted from the Championship to the Premier League at the end of the season, Phillips may be given the opportunity to redeem himself. Prior to joining Manchester City, the Leeds-born great spent his entire senior career with his hometown club. The alleged £150,000-per-week earner may believe that returning to familiar surroundings will help him regain his peak form.
