According to CaughtOffside, Kalvin Phillips will undergo his medical at Manchester City tomorrow ahead of his switch from Elland Road to the Etihad.
The 26 year old will swap Yorkshire for Manchester on a permanent deal with the fee rumoured to be around £45m. The 26 year old, who played over 230 times for The Whites will join up with Pep Guardiola as soon as the formalities are agreed and medical is completed.
Phillips was a key component in the Marcelo Bielsa side that won promotion from the Championship and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed with numerous clubs tracking the England International. Aston Villa had a bid rejected whilst Leeds were in the Championship and Sky Sports have reported, West Ham offered £50m in January.
‘City are said to be paying an initial £45m, with add-ons taking the deal to around £50m, while he is also expected to double his wages with a move to the Etihad Stadium’,
It will be a bitter sweet day for Leeds fans who know how much the club needs the money to strengthen and build the squad, but have also watched him grow and progress through the youth academy to where he is today. He is now an England regular and was always guaranteed, if fit, to play every minute for Leeds, after making the central defensive midfielder position his own, under the guidance of Bielsa.
The Leeds fans are split on whether it will be a good move for Phillips with game time needed to guarantee a spot in the England World Cup squad, and if he will be a starter for Manchester City. He will have to compete with Rodri for the jersey and some can’t see Phillips playing many games barring the Carabao and FA Cups. City always rotate to freshen the squad and it would be more likely he will play 10-15 games in his first season at the Etihad.
He will certainly improve under Guardiola, and some think a lot more than he would under Marsch. Leeds will be playing a completely different style from what he is used to, whereas Bielsa and Pep’s style is similar, this may have been another factor in his decision to move. He will be playing and training with World class players like Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, and the pull of the Champions League and chances to win trophies was too much to turn down.
He is going to be 27 soon and he must see the time to achieve his ambitions is now, and with City. Leeds fans will wish him well and he leaves with their blessings.
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In case you missed it: Leeds and City reach agreement for Phillips
Doom mongering. Will play only 10 to 15 games – evidence? What nonsense, Pep is evolving the playing style to accommodate Haaland and will push Rodri further forward in a 3-5-2 formation. If so, Phillips can play with Rodri. Last season Pep experimented with Rodri and Fernandinho together – pushing Rodri further upfield.