‘Ideal move’: Journalist now says ‘excellent’ player would love to join Leeds, but there’s one problem

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Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards says Leeds United would be Kalvin Phillips’ ‘ideal move’ from Manchester City.

Speaking on the BBC’s Football Gossip Daily, Edwards suggested Phillips left Elland Road on good terms and would love to go back, but the fact Leeds are in the Championship means a deal is highly unlikely.

It is just over 12 months since Phillips departed his boyhood club for Manchester City in a £45 million move, but his time at the treble winners already appears over.

Phillips was offered the chance to leave City in the summer but opted to stay and fight for his place, a decision that has not been vindicated.

With Rodri having been suspended for the last two Premier League matches, Phillips will have been hoping he would be handed his chance to impress, but again, had to settle for a place on the bench.

Phillips would love Leeds return

Now a January loan exit seems the most plausible way out of City for Phillips, but with the EUROs next summer, it is unlikely he will get his ‘ideal move’ to Leeds by dropping into the Championship, regardless of how ‘excellent’ Gareth Southgate thinks he is.

Edwards said: “Everton definitely would be [interested]. Would he want to go to Everton? I think if he had his ideal move, he’d probably go back to Leeds. I mean he’s a massive Leeds United supporter, he left on really good terms when he left Elland Road.

“I think he’s still in touch with people there, but Leeds are obviously in the Championship. Even Gareth Southgate might baulk at picking a player who’s starting in the Championship every week over a player who’s starting every week in the Premier League.”

Next summer for Phillips

Leeds need to get themselves back in the Premier League if they are going to have any chance of bringing Phillips back to Elland Road.

If he was to only leave on loan in January, that would mean he is back at City next summer and most likely back on the market, potentially for a permanent deal.

That said, regardless of his ability, do Leeds need another midfielder of his type given how well Ethan Ampadu is currently playing?