Manchester United are working hard on a deal to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the summer transfer window.
Kalvin Phillips, 26, has been rather impressive since helping Leeds United win promotion to the Premier League in 2020. He has continued his good form in the top flight as well and was part of the England squad that reached the Euro 2020 final last summer.
While the 26-year-old’s current campaign has been disrupted by a thigh problem, he has done enough to grab the attention of Manchester United, who are closing in on announcing Erik ten Hag as their next permanent manager.
Man United set to appoint Erik ten Hag
After weeks and months of speculation surrounding the vacant Manchester United permanent manager job, it appears that the club have finally come to a conclusion. The Man United board are now said to be in agreement that Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is the man they want at the helm to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.
There is a clear optimism from all the parties involved that a deal will be concluded by the end of next week, with Ten Hag having now entered into concrete talks with Manchester United over the fine details of his contract.
Can Kalvin Phillips be a good addition to the Red Devils squad?
Erik ten Hag would seek assurances on the direction of the club, transfer strategy and future plans before he decides to accept the Manchester United job. He also wants to have a backroom staff that would fit him and the club in the best possible manner—and that total structure along with the respect to managing players at hand and recruiting new ones that suits his playing system would help him in changing the philosophy and identity of the Mancunian giants consequently.
The Red Devils have already started identifying potential summer transfer targets and the latest player to fall on their radar is Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips. Newcastle United are also interested in Leeds United’s midfielder.
Phillips has thrived in a deep-lying playmaker’s role for both Leeds United and England, making him an appealing option for the Red Devils. He has been a leader for the Whites in the last few years, dictating the tempo of the game with his passing ability and tackling skills. The 26-year-old also showed his quality during Euro 2020 for the Three Lions where he started all seven games.
At the moment, Man United only have Nemanja Matic as the natural defensive midfielder, but his powers are on the wane at 33. Also, with Paul Pogba expected to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season, Scott McTominay lacks consistency in his game and Donny Van de Beek is yet to cut the mustard in the Premier League, a move for Phillips makes complete sense. At 26, Phillips is also heading towards the peak of his powers, and his passing ability along with his energy and robustness in the middle of the park would potentially fit in well in Ten Hag’s system at Man United.
However, whether the England international is willing to turn his back on his boyhood club and cross the divide this summer will be interesting to watch.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
