Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing the Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips at the end of this season.
According to an exclusive from Daily Star, the Premier League giants have moved on from Declan Rice because of West Ham United’s asking price and they are now focused on signing his England teammate instead.
Apparently, Rice is valued at £90 million and the Old Trafford hierarchy are not convinced that he is worth that much.
Phillips has been excellent for Leeds since their promotion to the Premier League and the 25-year-old has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the country.
The Leeds star was exceptional for his country during the European Championships earlier this summer and there is no doubt that he has the quality to play for a club like Manchester United.
Kalvin Phillips’ stats at Euro 2020:
1️⃣ Most pressures at Euro 2020 (229)
2️⃣ Ranked second for most distance covered at Euro 2020 (83.0km)
3️⃣ Joint-third for most ball recoveries at Euro 2020 (45) pic.twitter.com/CuV2ONPnJ1
— LUFCDATA (@LUFCDATA) July 12, 2021
Phillips is yet to reach his peak and a move the Old Trafford could help him improve further.
A player of his calibre deserves to play in the Champions League and he is unlikely to get that opportunity with Leeds anytime soon.
The England international has clearly outgrown Leeds and he needs to take a step up in his career.
Manchester United are in desperate need of a quality defensive midfielder and Phillips would be a massive upgrade on the likes of Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay.
The 25-year-old is well settled in the Premier League and he might be able to make an immediate impact if he moves to Old Trafford in the near future.
The Red Devils have a history of signing quality players from Leeds and it remains to be seen whether Phillips can join the likes of Eric Cantona, Alan Smith and Rio Ferdinand in moving to Old Trafford from Elland Road.
The signing of Phillips will help shore up the Manchester United midfield and he will improve them defensively as well as in the final third. The Leeds midfielder is excellent at protecting the back four and his defensive contribution will allow the creative players to operate with more freedom.
Apart from his defensive qualities, Phillips is an excellent presser as well and he will add work rate and aggression to the Manchester United midfield.
Meanwhile, Leeds are under no pressure to cash in on the midfielder just yet and Manchester United might have to come forward with a lucrative offer to tempt their Premier League rivals.
