A lot has changed in Kalvin Phillips’ career since the former Leeds United hero was named the English national team’s Player of the Year in 2021, and not much of it was good.
From starting a European Championship final and making a £47 million move to Manchester City to sitting on the bench at Ipswich Town after one of the most disastrous loan spells in modern Premier League history with West Ham.
This time around, the award belongs to Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
But if he was a rather controversial pick – albeit Palmer did score against Spain in the Euro 2024 decider while assisting Ollie Watkins’ semi-final winner versus the Netherlands – there were few in Switzerland arguing that Granit Xhaka was unworthy of the annual Swiss National Player of the Year gong.
After helping guide Bayer Leverkusen to a historic Bundesliga title, and crossing the 130-mark in international caps, Xhaka was a more-than fitting winner.
Renato Steffen, by the way, took home the Swiss Super League’s best player award for 2024. And while a tally of eight goals and 15 assists last term from the FC Lugano veteran is certainly not to be sniffed at, Lausanne Sport coach Ludovic Magnin cannot understand why Alvyn Sanches’ name was not a prominent part of the discussions.
Leeds continue to be mentioned alongside Alvyn Sanches on the back of a scintillating breakout season in Switzerland’s top flight.
The stylish attacking midfielder could yet leave his homeland with a far more important prize – Laussane Sport are in contention for their first league title in 60 years – but the Leeds United-linked star’s omission from the list of Player of the Year nominees still puts a bad taste in Magnin’s mouth.
Leeds United linked Alvyn Sanches ‘the greatest talent in Swiss football’
“He wasn’t even nominated at the Football Awards!,” a bemused Magnin tells Blue Win. “[I would have picked him] and not just in one category. He couldn’t even be in the running for any of the other awards!
“For many experts, he is the greatest talent in Swiss football. But this nomination was apparently decided by people who had a different opinion.
“Having worked with Alvyn for almost three years, it’s legitimate for me to disagree.”
Magnin is unlikely to spend a fourth alongside the snake-hipped Lausanne Sport schemer. The Leeds target has already changed his agent while indicating that this will be his final season at the Stade de la Tuiliere.
Something Magnin is also happy to accept, knowing that Sanches is turning into a big fish in a relatively small domestic pond.
Lausanne Sport coach knows Sanches is likely to leave Switzerland
“He’s still here, but anyone who knows the business knows that there are no certainties,” Magnin adds. “That’s why I won’t be making any big statements until February 1st. But the player has clearly communicated that he wants to stay with us until the summer.
“I think he wants to finish the great journey we’re on with us, and then leave in the summer. That’s the plan. But I can hardly remember the last time a plan worked out in football!”
Alvyn Sanches is a footballer with ‘enormous creativity’, to quote Lausanne Sport chief Stephane Henchoz, with his eye for a pass and his ability to ghost into space likely to come in handy for a team who tend to come up against deep-blocks more often than most, at least in the Championship.
“My career plan is quite simple,” the £7.5 million-rated, France-born 21-year-old says. “As a young player, I had to have one. I want to finish the season with my club before being able to transfer to an intermediate club, allowing me to reach the highest level.”
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