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Leeds United want to sign Anderlecht midfielder Josh Cullen
Leeds United are in the race to sign Anderlecht midfielder Josh Cullen in the summer, according to a report from TEAMtalk.
The 25-year-old has become a star in the Belgian top division under the management of Premier League winner Vincent Kompany and is now attracting interest from a host of Premier League clubs.
Wolves, Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Ham (the club Cullen left to join Anderlecht in 2020) are all equally interested in the Republic of Ireland international.
He has 18 months left on his current deal in Belgium which might force the 34-time league winners to sell while they can still get a fee for the Irishman.
His fitness won’t be an issue for Jesse Marsch, like a number of his current players, having played the entire 90 minutes in all but one of Anderlecht’s league games this season.
Phillips replacement?
Marsch might already be looking towards finding a replacement for Kalvin Phillips if the Whites’ academy graduate opts to leave Elland Road in the summer.
Aston Villa are showing an increased interest in his services and might even offload Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz to accommodate the potential arrival of the England international [Daily Mail].
The 25-year-old is very similar to Phillips in his style of play with tenacity in the midfield battle and the composure to dictate the tempo from deep when he gets the chance.
If the Elland Road favourite stays it could be even better for Marsch as the two together would complement each other nicely to allow the attacking talent in the squad to flourish knowing they have the buffer behind them.
Marsch has plenty of time to make his decision with other midfield options being talked about too but Cullen might be the best of the lot if he’s given the chance.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has defended Fabrizio Romano after controversy surrounding the journalist amid transfer talk about one Whites ace.