With all the talk in a quiet international week being centred around Kalvin Phillips and whether he is preparing himself for a return to Leeds United, the spotlight has fallen on the Whites' midfield. Talk of Phillips coming back to Elland Road feels both premature and potentially a little off the mark, certainly at this stage of proceedings.
Reports of a deal being done are certainly not the case as far as Leeds Live understands. Whether Phillips does return is not out of the question, but there are some huge hurdles to get over for that to happen, not least his salary which would need to probably be halved at least for the Whites to afford him.
While Phillips rumours will no doubt persist for weeks to come, one current Leeds midfielder has made it clear he doesn't want to go anywhere else in a hurry with a desire to play in the Premier League with the Whites next season his focus.
Ilia Gruev was a £4m arrival from Werder Bremen back in the summer of 2023 and while he has not managed to win over all Leeds supporters, he's a trusted member of Daniel Farke's side who has played a key role in the past two seasons. The Bulgarian international has two years remaining on his current contract.
While there has been a suggestion he could return to Germany to play in the Bundesliga once again, Gruev has made it clear what his intentions are.
“Honestly? I don’t know (about another spell in the Bundesliga). The goal now is clearly to get promoted with Leeds,” said Gruev in speaking to Sport1.
“The Premier League would be an absolute dream for me. I want to play in the best league in the world. I find the Bundesliga very attractive but, for now, I want to continue proving myself in England.”
Gruev has seen his season disrupted by an injury which kept him sidelined for four months, but has still managed to play 22 games so far this season and is a firm fixture in away encounters.