Leeds United must proceed with caution after reports suggested that the club have launched a bid to bring Kalvin Phillips back to Elland Road from Manchester City.
Kalvin Phillips is likely to be an interested observer, rather than an active participant, when Leeds face Manchester City at the Etihad this weekend.
The former icon of the Marcelo Bielsa side has seen his career stall since he left Leeds, having been stuck in purgatory with Pep Guardiola’s Premier League giants.
Phillips has played less than 10 minutes for Man City in all competitions this season, meaning his chances of playing a role against Leeds this weekend are limited.
With reports suggesting that Leeds have enquired about bringing Phillips back to West Yorkshire in January, the club cannot allow their heart to rule their head with the move.
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Leeds United cannot afford to make a costly mistake on Kalvin Phillips
With Leeds mired in a relegation battle and struggling for creativity in attack, the fact that the 49ers have enquired about bringing Phillips back to the club appears to be a strange decision.
Daniel Farke is currently well-stocked in midfield, with the likes of Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev struggling to obtain regular minutes in the Leeds first team.
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Leeds’ options in central midfield:
Ethan Ampadu (C)
Sean Longstaff
Anton Stach
Ao Tanaka
Ilia Gruev
Brenden Aaronson
With Dan James and Willy Gnonto now both available after injury, Farke also has the option to deploy Brenden Aaronson centrally as well, having featured mainly from the right wing in recent weeks.
Phillips earns a reported £250,000 a week with Man City, and Leeds would need to contribute a significant chunk of that amount to bring him back to Elland Road.
With Ethan Ampadu effectively playing the role that Phillips previously played under Bielsa, Farke does not need another defensively minded player in his squad.
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Although the thought of Phillips in a Leeds shirt again is a romantic notion, mirroring the return of David Batty under David O’Leary, the truth is, Leeds need forwards in January, not more central midfielders.
Leeds United cannot rely on Kalvin Phillips’ output in a relegation battle
With Leeds already looking well-stocked in midfield, another elephant in the room over any potential deal for Phillips is his lack of playing time in recent years.
Since winning promotion to the top flight under Marcelo Bielsa, Phillips has only averaged over 45 minutes of playing time per game once, in Leeds’ first season in the Premier League.
Leeds United v Crewe Alexandra - Carabao Cup Second Round
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Kalvin Phillips’ average Premier League playing time (Source: FotMob)
Season Total Minutes Played Average Minutes per Game
2024/25 1,239 32.61
2023/24 396 10.42
2022/23 291 7.66
2021/22 1,595 41.97
2020/21 2,429 63.92
Phillips registered his best season since the 2021/22 season with Ipswich last year, as he played an average of 32.61 minutes per game across the 38 rounds of the season.
Having failed to take the field in the Premier League for Manchester City this season, Leeds cannot afford to gamble on Phillips’ ability to play regularly in the second half of the season.
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