OK, now it’s time to get serious.
With a lot of the attention recently focused on who Leeds were bringing in, reports on who the club could potentially be losing this summer seemed to slow down somewhat. But in the past few days, they seem to have come back to the forefront.
We told you yesterday how Leeds fans were laughing at their Villa counterparts for seemingly lowballing the club in their efforts to sign Phillips. Possibly as a result of the offer being so low and Leeds refusing to budge on their asking price, Aston Villa decided to turn their attention elsewhere, with the club on the verge of completing the signing of Manchester City’s Brazilian midfielder, Douglas Luiz.
However, a much more serious bid could be on the way and this one should actually get Leeds fans worrying. The Daily Mirror are reporting that Spurs are potentially lining up a bid for the 23-year-old, but this time they might actually commit to Leeds’ supposed asking price of £30m.
This is where I think Leeds fans actually need to start panicking. Having gone the season without signing anyone last year, and showing this year that they are perfectly willing to splash the cash when needed this summer, Spurs aren’t the same thrifty side that we came to expect over the past couple of years.
Having come so close to lifting the Champions League last year, they are now being much more aggressive in their transfer approach, best exemplified by the £63m they’ve spent on Ndombele.
Leeds aren’t just dealing with Aston Villa who were looking to penny pinch with their offers for Phillips, this is a big time club that can and will spend big money if they feel they have to.
Phillips is a crucial part of how Leeds play, but at the same time if Leeds are holding out for a high fee, then we have to trust that they’ll have some plans to replace him with someone who can do the job as well as, if not better than him. After all, it’s not like they haven’t sold their most promising youngster to a top Premier League side before. Let’s just hope this time they get in a proper replacement if they do.