Leeds could potentially bring Kalvin Phillips back to Yorkshire this winter.
The Mirror believe Leeds have already approached Manchester City to enquire about the England international, who is yet to feature in the Premier League at all this season.
There were question marks over where Daniel Farke would even use the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ given the fact he already has Ethan Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff in his central midfield department.
However, the switch to a 3-5-2 formation has opened the door for Farke to use Kalvin Phillips in the same way as Marcelo Bielsa used to at Leeds.
How Leeds United can utilise Kalvin Phillips in a deeper role in a 3-5-2 shape
While Bielsa was at the helm, Phillips would often drop into the backline when the opposition played two strikers, in order for there to be an extra man in defence.
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The likes of Joel Piroe and Willy Gnonto are struggling to force their way into Farke's plans.
It was a clever way to ensure Leeds were not exposed at the back – while also utilising the Leeds academy graduate’s immense ability to control a game from deep with his excellent passing ability.
Therefore, if Leeds manage to sign Phillips in January, he could be used in the centre of a back three, with his presence also giving Farke the option to quickly change his system into one where the 30-year-old steps into midfield depending on how the opposition line up.
This 3-5-2 formation has also seen Leeds increase the amount of long passes they play, as Jonny Cooper found out.
Considering Phillips is a master at pinging the ball around, he could therefore thrive.
There is a major stumbling block to deal with in the fact the Manchester City outcast currently earns £250,000-a-week. The Mirror say Leeds would need the Citizens to help pay a portion of that salary for a deal to materialise.
However, if an agreement can be found, Phillips could prove to be a gem in the 3-5-2 formation thanks to his versatility.
Daniel Farke can also call on Ethan Ampadu for the same role
If a romantic return for Phillips fails, Farke can still use Ampadu in a similar way – should he encounter an injury crisis in defence at any point this season.
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The Wales international actually used to be a centre-back and had made more appearances there than he has in midfield, with 128 games in defence compared to 105 slightly further up the pitch.
With this new 3-5-2 system, Farke now has many other ways to utilise his more versatile players, keeping opposition managers on their toes.
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