Man City push for ‘significant’ exit fee as Leeds transfer crashes and burns

Manchester City are looking to cut their losses and sell former Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips this summer – but the Championship side face a ‘significant’ hurdle to sign him.

The midfielder would have felt on top of the world after leading Leeds to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League – after 16 years outside the top-flight – and getting named England’s 2020/21 Men’s Player of the Year.

The ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ was attracting interest from Manchester United, Manchester City, and more, and was an England regular under Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.

Fast forward to the present, however, and the lay of the land is very different. Phillips has just completed a disastrous loan spell at West Ham, where fans booed him off the back of his underwhelming performances, and he appears surplus to requirements at the Etihad.

The 28-year-old is two years into his six-year contract at City, following his £42m move from Leeds to Pep Guardiola’s team in the summer of 2022, and his future is looking very uncertain.

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Amid that uncertainty, Phillips has been linked with a return to Elland Road, with the midfielder said to be ‘desperate’ to head back to his old stomping ground.

However, much of that was dependent on Leeds making an immediate return to the Premier League, following their relegation to the Championship last season.

Adam Armstrong’s 24th-minute winner in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Sunday put paid to that, as Southampton edged past Leeds with a 1-0 win – as Russell Martin’s side pocketed £140m from their triumph as a result.

Things are far less rosy for the Whites, though. Some of their top players are likely to be sold in order to not fall afoul of profit and sustainability rules and they have to pay £73.6m in transfer instalments on player purchases before the end of June 2024.

Therefore, Leeds may have to sell the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto, and more, in order to avoid a financial breach.

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Transfer deals in excess of £10m will be a gamble and that is where Phillips comes in. If City would be prepared to let him leave on loan next season, that would be doable for Leeds.

Phillips heading for Man City exit

And while Football Insider claims City are ‘almost certain’ to let the England international leave this summer, they will want to recoup as much of their initial transfer fee as possible.

Reports have suggested Phillips could cost at least £30m and as much as £40m, which has put off multiple clubs heading into the summer transfer window.

The midfielder is ‘keen’ to leave the Etihad but any suitor will have to pay a ‘significant’ fee for a player whose value has plummeted in recent times.

If Leeds had got promoted, a permanent move for Phillips would be a possibility but after failing to reach the Premier League, that may scupper an Elland Road return.

Moreover, it is not an area of the pitch that Leeds are short in, with Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev defensive midfield options. A Whites reunion may be off the cards for the foreseeable future.