Leeds United have been linked with a sensational move for midfielder Kalvin Phillips, with Daniel Farke’s side firmly in contention for a return to the Premier League in 2025/26.
EFL Analysis exclusively revealed information about a possible return for the former Marcelo Bielsa favourite, with Phillips open to a return to Leeds this summer if the Whites are promoted.
Team Appearances Goals Assists
Leeds United 234 14 13
Manchester City 31 1 0
West Ham United 10 0 0
Ipswich Town 20 1 0
England 31 1 2
Kalvin Phillips’ career stats – as of 17/03/2025
Phillips was a fan favourite at Elland Road, having looked like he may not have a future with the club at one stage. But Bielsa transformed him into the best holding midfielder in the division over two seasons, and Phillips continued to impress following promotion as well.
So, talk of a return is surely a good thing, right? Well, not exactly. In fact, it would be a huge mistake.
The argument for Leeds United signing Kalvin Phillips this summer
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Leeds could offer Phillips a route back into Premier League football immediately when his loan spell with Ipswich Town ends, with Daniel Farke’s men in a strong position to secure their place back in the top-flight at the second attempt.
Although, Leeds may wish to rectify a worrying trend if they are to guarantee a top-two place and avoid the play-offs — something Phillips and the Leeds fans know all too well can be a hazardous route to glory.
Promotion at the earliest opportunity has to be the goal now, with Leeds then able to start the recruitment process before their rivals. Regarding Phillips, the sentimental value and the romantic side of his arrival alone would be huge for the club and its supporters if they can secure him quickly.
Known as the “Yorkshire Pirlo” during his time at Leeds, Phillips excelled in the defensive midfield role under Bielsa, where his superb work rate, vision, and precise tackling turned him into one of the Championship’s best players.
The issue has been Phillips’ form, with the Premier League-chasing outfit looking to be smart with their transfer business instead of spending big on the ex-England international’s wages, especially as Phillips is now a 29-year-old without any resale value.
That said, he is still a popular figure at the club and has shown not that long ago he can still be an effective player at the top level of English football. He is also Leeds born and bred, having come through the Whites’ academy, playing 234 times for his boyhood club before securing a big-money move to Man City.
The midfielder has struggled at the Etihad Stadium, though, and with Phillips likely to be surplus to requirements once more this coming summer, a return to Elland Road may make sense in the eyes of many — but he hasn’t exactly pulled up any trees since exiting Leeds nearly three years ago.
Loan stints at West Ham and now Ipswich Town haven’t gone that well, and it leaves his career at a bit of a crossroads this summer, with two years remaining on his Man City contract. His form and quality can now be seriously questioned; will Phillips ever get back to his best again?
And, with finances of newly-promoted clubs more scrutinised than ever thanks to PSR rules, clubs are aiming to be smarter with the money promotion brings and the subsequent transfer business.
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Newcastle United’s model is the one for Leeds United to emulate
Phillips made his debut for boyhood club Leeds during the 2014/15 season, scoring in his second appearance for the club, before becoming a fan favourite in the years after. To rediscover that, Phillips needs a permanent switch and fresh start away from his current situation in the long-term after a concerning decline and a concerted period of poor form since leaving Elland Road over two years ago.
Although the midfielder was sensational in West Yorkshire, as demonstrated by the fact he made 37 appearances in the Whites’ 2019/20 Championship title winning campaign, perhaps an Elland Road return would not be the best option for the Whites in their efforts to bolster their midfield.
For Leeds, they will need to strengthen their midfield options if they go up, no matter how impressive the likes of Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu have been, but they should be able to find someone younger, cheaper, and more progressive than Phillips, no matter how much of a fan favourite he is.
Joe Rothwell is unlikely to be signed permanently in the Premier League, while Ilia Gruev could be a useful squad player to retain. But, they will require someone of serious physicality — much like Phillips in his prime — as has become the blueprint for every Premier League side lately.
Player Appearances Minutes Goals Assists
Ethan Ampadu 21 1598 0 0
Ao Tanaka 35 2669 4 2
Joe Rothwell 35 2164 0 4
Ilia Gruev 17 1161 0 0
Leeds midfielders compared (league only)
Newcastle United recorded a record-breaking Carabao Cup win against Liverpool on Sunday, with two of the standout players being aggressive duel winners in the middle of the park in Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes. The Reds could not handle the combative nature of the fixture, which is an advantage Leeds require.
Once consistent and the linchpin of the team, Phillips was the fulcrum of instigating attacks with his raking long passes, as well as being one of the toughest-tacklers in the league, and his decline has come as a surprise since. Joelinton-type destructive players should be the go-to for Leeds now, which Phillips is simply not anymore
That’s because he is not the player he once was, and the blueprint is obvious as to what they should emulate. Nottingham Forest and Brentford have also adopted similar strategies regarding their engine room, which is what promotion teams need to prioritise.
A club like Newcastle or Forest is what Leeds have the potential to be in the Premier League, but there is little room for sentimentality by going down the former player route for signings, especially when younger and more physically imposing options will be available to Farke and co. in the summer market.