Leeds United discuss £10 million summer transfer for Manchester City midfielder | OneFootball

Officials at Elland Road are discussing the possibility of bringing Kalvin Phillips back to Leeds United ahead of their Premier League return, it is being reported.

Phillips has no future at the Etihad Stadium and is surplus to requirements for Pep Guardiola, who signed the 29-year-old from Leeds United in 2022. However, things have not gone to plan for the midfielder in Manchester.

A series of injuries in his first season at Manchester City saw Phillips struggle for game time in the club’s historic 2022-23 treble-winning campaign, with the England international playing a bit-part role in a season that saw Rodri emerge as arguably the best holding midfielder in the world.

Guardiola has had issues with Phillips’ fitness and it became evident that things were tense behind the scenes between the pair when the Manchester City manager admitted to leaving Phillips out of a matchday squad because the Englishman had returned to club duty ‘overweight’.

Phillips stayed put at the club into the 2023-24 campaign but barely played and sealed a loan move to West Ham in January before return to Manchester City last summer, when he spent pre-season with Manchester City and joined Ipswich Town on a season-long loan.

Rodri suffered an ACL injury in Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League in September 2024, which ruled out the Ballon d’Or holder from action until the penultimate league fixture of the season.

The 28-year-old’s injury also forced Manchester City to enter the January transfer market for a new midfielder as Nico Gonzalez was brought in to bolster Guardiola’s prospects in the deep-lying midfield area for the business end of the campaign.

Manchester City finished in third place in the Premier League this season but changes are coming in the coming months after Guardiola’s side failed to mount a challenge to retain the league title, exited the UEFA Champions League at the Round of 16 stage and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace.

According to the information of Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo‘ on X, officials at Leeds United are discussing a possible return to the club for Kalvin Phillips with the potential for a transfer fee to be as low as £10 million.

Phillips suffered relegation with Ipswich Town last term and it remains to be seen whether the England international will be part of Guardiola’s squad that will make the journey to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup.

With three years remaining on his current deal, Phillips is certain to seal a permanent transfer or loan move for the 2025-26 campaign as Manchester City are well stocked in the number six position and Guardiola holds little faith in his signing from 2022.

There remains interest in Phillips from clubs across the Premier League and Manchester City are unlikely to have a shortage of suitors for the out-of-favour midfielder, who needs to move on from the Etihad Stadium to revitalise his career and make a challenge for the 2026 England World Cup squad.