Kalvin Phillips would be brilliant for Man Utd but the pain it would cause Leeds would make transfer even sweeter

MANCHESTER UNITED’s missing presence of a natural holding midfielder has been hurting the side’s progress on and off the ball.

From the lack of technical quality to help the team to play out from the back, to not a single ball winning midfielder available to help through interceptions and tackles. 

Nemanja Matic is actually the only recognised defensive midfielder that the Red Devils have, however, he does not have the legs and the energy to play on a weekly basis, as Ralf Rangnick currently and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer previously have had to prioritise his game schedule by playing him in the important games.

On top of that, both coaches have not adopted a possession-based style of play, which would lead the Serbian international to do more defending than ball-playing.

On the other hand, you have Fred and Scott McTominay, two midfielders who have been regular starters in the midfield pivot but have not shown that they can provide complete control and dominance in the middle of the pitch, as individuals or as a pair.

Both have shown signs that they can be part of a team that wants to aim for a top-four finish, yet not for titles and trophies, as the club have failed to win a single piece of silverware since Jose Mourinho’s 2016/17 season at Old Trafford. 

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If there was one midfield signing that could take United to the next level it would be Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips, someone who was a pivotal player during the Marcelo Bielsa era and has played an important role in assisting the team to make a return to the Premier League in 2020 after a 16-year absence.

His rise in the top flight of English football had strongly impressed Gareth Southgate, who had no choice but to select him for the England line-up in the European Championship last summer. 

The 26-year-old has shown his incredible ability to read the game as a number six, being regarded as one of the best midfielders in the league to break up the opposition’s move by tackling or fouling the player.

Leeds were completely missing his presence in midfield during his four months on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, as they lost 11 out of 15 games in all competitions in that period.

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Those defeats haven proven to be costly for the Peacocks, leaving the board with no option but to sack Marcelo Bielsa, as they currently sit in 16^th place within the league table, eight points above the relegation zone.

And with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea still yet to face before the season comes to an end, the side will not go into the matches with the mindset of being safe.

The Red Devils could kill two birds with one stone with the signing of Phillips, having a holding midfielder who can distribute possession and disrupt the opponent’s threat effectively, as well as taking away an important player from rivals Leeds, which will not sit well with the club as Manchester United have done the same in the past by buying Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand.

Transfermarkt values Kalvin Phillips at £45million, though, if Leeds United find themselves in the bottom three and end up being relegated to the Championship, the Red Devils would be able to acquire his services for around £35million.

This would not be a surprise as he wants to be part of a team that can challenge at the highest level of English football, and Ten Hag will certainly be improving on the midfield department before he begins to focus on the defence and forward area.

@asif9707

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk