Leeds United must veer towards Celtic deal over Man City transfer: View | OneFootball

Leeds United are in the thick of the Championship promotion race at the business end of the season, and are eyeing an immediate Premier League return.

Should the Whites earn promotion to the top-flight, they will be looking to bolster their squad in an effort to become an established Premier League side.

As a result of this, the Elland Road outfit have been credited with interest in Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who joined City from the Whites for a fee of £45m, back in the summer of 2022.

Phillips was sensational during his tenure with his boyhood club, but since crossing the Pennines to join Pep Guardiola's side, he has been underwhelming.

During the 2022/23 Premier League season, Phillips made just two starts and 12 appearances for the Etihad outfit, while during the current campaign, he made just four top-flight appearances before being sent on loan to West Ham in January.

The former Leeds man has failed to impress in east London, and has not been selected in David Moyes' starting 11 since he was sent off during a 2-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in January.

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.

Since leaving Elland Road, Phillips' career has not kicked on in the way that he, or City would have wanted, while the Hammers are also yet to see the benefits of the 28-year-old's services.

On the other hand, a player whose career is really taking off in the right direction is Celtic star Matt O'Riley, who has been absolutely sensational for the Scottish Premiership giants this season.

From central midfield, the ace has made a stunning return of 13 goals and 11 assists in 31 Premiership appearances, while he has also scored three goals in the Champions League and two in the Scottish FA Cup this season.

He is a player Celtic can rely on in high pressure situations, an ability the former MK Dons man showcased in Sunday's Old Firm clash, as he cooly chipped a penalty home to give his side a 2-0 lead over Rangers, but a chaotic encounter would end 3-3.

O'Riley's goal contributions demonstrate his dangerous ability in the final third, which is an area of the game Phillips lacked, even during his finest displays of form in Leeds colours; they are different midfielders, but O'Riley has a stronger all-round game and Leeds aren't as reliant on one midfield pivot anymore, lessening the need for a Phillips-type defensive shield.

Phillips showed how he can influence games going forward pre-Marcelo Bielsa, but 23-year-old Riley has also shown that he is defensively astute, and in the Scottish Premiership he has won 151 duels this season, as well as winning possession in the final third on 28 occasions, according to FotMob.

As O'Riley is five years younger than Phillips, while his statistics demonstrate he is a class act, he clearly has a higher ceiling than that of the former Whites man at this stage.

Whites will have to fend off high profile interest in O'Riley

While this TeamTalk report revealed the Whites are plotting a move for the Denmark international, Daniel Farke's club will have to beat some elite sides to the star's signature.

Sky Sports revealed in January that former La Liga champions Atlético Madrid had put in a bid for O'Riley, which demonstrates the calibre of interest in him.

Farke and co would do well to fend off such high-profile competition, but the Whites are arguably more capable of offering the Celtic man regular playing time, while their ability to complete this transfer mostly hinges on whether the West Yorkshire outfit win promotion.