Kalvin Phillips: Key update on Leeds United return – sources
Leeds United will not be able to sign Kalvin Phillips this summer if they fail to achieve promotion back to the Premier League, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that the Whites would not have the finances to pull off a move for the midfielder.
It is believed that Man City’s price demands and Phillips’ wages will prove too steep for Leeds if they stay in the Championship.
Well-placed sources have told Football Insider (29 April) that the midfielder is desperate to rejoin the Yorkshire giants this summer.
Kalvin Phillips return to Leeds off if promotion eludes them
Phillips, 28, is at a career crossroads after struggling to settle at Man City following his reported £45million move from the Whites in the summer of 2022 and his disastrous loan spell to West Ham United in the January transfer window.
For the Citizens, he earned 31 appearances in all competitions, while his time at the London Stadium has not been the career resurgence he’d hoped for.
Under David Moyes, Phillips has made just three Premier League starts and has featured just twice, both from the bench, in their last seven outings.
Football Insider also revealed (22 April) that West Ham coaches have privately said that the England international seems to be undergoing a confidence crisis and looks to have lost interest in playing Premier League football.
Automatic promotion back to the top flight looks unlikely for Leeds, with second-place Ipswich Town needing just a point against 23rd-place Huddersfield on Saturday to avoid the play-offs.
In other news, Five stars could quit if Leeds promotion bid fails.
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