Leeds United: Phil Hay shares Manchester City update on bid to sign Kalvin Phillips
Phil Hay reports that Manchester City are yet to table a bid for Leeds United midfielder but he expects that once an offer is made a move “will happen”.
Man City have been strongly linked with a move for Phillips, 26, with The Athletic journalist Hay writing earlier this week (15 June) that the Premier League champions are set to bid for the England international.
However, a bid hasn’t been made as of Wednesday afternoon (15 June).
Speaking on the latest episode of The Phil Hay Show podcast (16 June, 19m39s).”The Manchester City link is very, very strong.
“As we speak on Wednesday afternoon, there hasn’t been an offer from Manchester City but there seems absolutely no doubt from what’s been said in Manchester, one is coming.
“And I think it’s very, very likely that if they bid – and they bid at an acceptable level – this one will happen.
“It’s going to depend on a lot of things and it’s going to depend on first of all, what sort of valuation they’re actually willing to talk about and whether they can meet the valuation that Leeds want.
“But whereas with moves to West Ham, Villa and so on, both of those got in touch in January, Leeds turned down both approaches and there was absolutely no pressure put on the club by Phillips for them to engage with either of those.”
Matter of when, not if
It looks as though Manchester City will make a move for Phillips.
It’s unclear when exactly that will happen but as it’ll no doubt be one of the biggest transfers in English football this summer – possibly the biggest between two English clubs – there’s a chance Man City will want to get terms wrapped up quickly.
Phillips will be on holiday now that he’s finished his international duty with England.
It’s likely that his agents will be working on a deal with Man City though while the Citizens are also bound to be in discussions – to some degree – with Leeds.
The Whites must play hardball though.
They are unlikely to stand in the way of Phillips actually joining Pep Guardiola’s title-winning side but they do need to do their best to rinse them for whatever they can.
At the end of the day, this is the club that’s paying Erling Haaland a ridiculous sum of money and paid £100million for Jack Grealish to warm their bench.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites have verbally agreed a deal for a Spanish club to make a windfall due to a 20 per cent transfer clause.