Leeds United will have to stump up around £20million if they want to bring ex-midfielder Kalvin Phillips back to Elland Road this summer, it has been claimed. Phillips, 29, left Leeds in July 2022 to join Manchester City for £45million. However, the England international has struggled since his move to the Etihad Stadium.
He started just five matches across all competitions during his first season as City picked up the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. Phillips' game-time did not improve at the start of the following campaign - and that triggered him to move to West Ham on loan in January 2024.
While David Moyes handed Phillips a chance to shine there, he failed to impress, making a couple of high-profile mistakes which saw him drop down the pecking order as he ended up playing just 15 minutes in West Ham's final eight league matches and returned to City in the summer.
When it was clear that Phillips was going to have limited minutes in Pep Guardiola's squad again, he was sent out on loan to newly-promoted Ipswich Town. Since his move to Portman Road, Phillips has enjoyed more game-time, having started 13 Premier League matches this season.
There has been glimpses that Phillips is slowly getting back to form, and if he can have a successful end to the season, interest in the Leeds-born midfielder is expected to rise. Reports have suggested that the Whites could consider a move to re-sign Phillips, and TEAMtalk have revealed how much it's expected to cost to bring him back to west Yorkshire.
They claim that an offer of around £20m would be enough for City to sanction a sale. Phillips is also thought to be 'keen' to return to Leeds and would accept that a pay-cut is inevitable.
Leeds must achieve promotion back to the Premier League, though, as that is what derailed his return last summer. Daniel Farke's side have put themselves in a strong position to return to the top-flight this season, having sat top of the Championship ahead of Tuesday night's matches.
Although the Whites have endured a little wobble of late - drawing against West Brom and losing at relegation-threatened Portsmouth - they're still in a strong position. Farke's men host Millwall on Wednesday night (7.45pm) looking to return to winning ways.
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