You can tell it’s December and the January transfer window silly season nears as some tabloids are already getting warmed up and are linking Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips with a Championship switch to West Bromwich Albion.
The story comes from the Sun on Sunday (P57) so there is absolutely no reason for Leeds fans to worry as I’ve got more chance of winning the lottery without buying a ticket given their hit rate for accuracy.
With the 23-year-old improving under manager Marcelo Bielsa and well known defensive issues at The Hawthorns, the speculation writes itself but the Sun are sensible enough to claim this isn’t January related – it hinges purely on them gaining promotion over the summer and Leeds remaining in the second tier.
Ergo, it’s a have your fake cake and eat it claim.
In the current transfer market, Phillips’ potential development would put him easily in the ballpark of £15million given other deals and even if West Brom achieved Premier League riches once again – they won’t pay what we’d want given their believed financial state from the media, the other strengthening they’d need to do – let alone those players who would undoubtedly go back to their former wage levels.