This story just won’t go away, will it?
Kalvin Phillips has been predominantly linked this summer with a move to Aston Villa, however, one man thinks that a move to an even bigger club could be on the horizon. Darren Bent spoke to Football Insider about the defensive midfielder and he said that Phillips has the ability to slot seamlessly into Tottenham’s team.
He said: “I’d like to see Kalvin Phillips move on, he’s earned that Premier League status. He can go to Spurs, quite easily.
“They’re crying out for that player so I can see him going there and he might not start straight away, might have to bide his time, but I can guarantee you once he gets in there he won’t come out.”
Now that last sentence is a bit of a red flag for me. If Kalvin Phillips isn’t guaranteed a starting role straight away, why would he want to move from Leeds United to the bench? Phillips has said in the past that it is a privilege to play for Leeds, especially seeing as he’s a supporter of the club, having grown up watching them and joining the academy aged 14, so for him to make a move away from his beloved club, it would have to take something special.
Having become a regular in the Leeds United side in the early stages of the 16/17 season, Phillips has made the defensive midfield his own this season, with the occasional dabble at centre back along the way, and has endeared himself to the Elland Road faithful to such an extent that they affectionately call him the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’.
I just don’t think that sitting on the bench at, what is a very impressive, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a few years will be the thing to do it. That’s why I also don’t think he’ll be moving to Aston Villa, Alan Nixon reported over the weekend that he’ll only move if he asks for a transfer, and given it’s his boyhood club it’s going to take something very big to turn his head away.
With Leeds heading in an upwards direction after Bielsa took then from 13th to 3rd last year, this isn’t the same situation as when another Leeds Utd fan Alan Smith made the move to Manchester United when they were heading down the leagues rather than up.
Kalvin Phillips is in a position to be a part of a Leeds team that will go down in history as the team to finally crack promotion to the Premier League after 15 years and counting in the wilderness. It’s either that or getting a medal for ‘putting the pressure on’ at Spurs. I know which one I’d rather have.