Manchester City agree £45m deal with Leeds United for Kalvin Phillips after Pep Guardiola set his sights on the England midfielder to replace former captain Fernandinho
- Manchester City have reached an agreement with Leeds to sign Kalvin Phillips
- Leeds United will initially receive £42million with £3m in potential add-ons
- Pep Guardiola had set his sights on Phillips as a replacement for Fernandinho
Manchester City are closing on a £45million deal for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
Terms are expected to be finalised next week with City paying £42m plus a further £3m in add-ons for the 26-year old who is currently away on holiday.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Sportsmail revealed earlier this month that talks were expected to take place following England’s internationals and negotiations accelerated in recent days after Phillips changed agents.
Manchester City have reportedly reached an agreement with Leeds United to Kalvin Phillips
Leeds had been resigned to losing Phillips and had discussed the possibility of players moving in exchange.
However, a separate £5m deal is now being negotiated for highly rated 18-year-old midfielder Darko Gyabi to move from City to Elland Road. He will sign a four-year-deal, pending a medical next week.
Phillips has two years left on his contract at Leeds and had indicated during last season that he was happy to stay beyond that but talks over a new deal were not forthcoming.
Aston Villa and Newcastle United posted their interest in signing the academy graduate while Leeds rejected a £55m offer from West Ham in January. All three remained keen but Phillips only wanted to leave Leeds for what he viewed as a significant step up.
Manchester City had placed Phillips at the top of their midfield targets this summer
The challenge of a move to the Premier League champions and the prospect of Champions League football was appealing though he recognises he faces a battle to hold down a regular first team place.
Phillips is excited at the prospect of working with Pep Guardiola, who has heard positive feedback from his friend Marcelo Bielsa, the former Leeds coach, who did so much to develop Phillips into a player of international repute.
Leeds have already signed Marc Roca from Bayern Munich and, despite a pending agreement for Gyabi, have been actively looking for another holding midfielder with Red Bull Leipzig’s Tyler Adams one of the names under discussion.
They also expect improved offers for wantaway winger Raphinha after rejecting Arsenal’s bid of £30m plus add-ons earlier this week. Tottenham and Chelsea are also interested in the Brazilian who is valued at £65m.
Pep Guardiola is seeking midfield reinforcements after losing captain Fernandinho
Despite the funds coming in, Leeds are not expected to be rash with their spending. PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo and Adama Traore of Wolves are on their list of targets as is Bruges striker Charles de Keletaer though the latter is considered too expensive at £35m and has interest from AC Milan.
Jesse March also wants to add an experienced goalkeeper, with Watford’s Ben Foster among names mentioned, and a left-back.
City, meanwhile, are expected to follow their move for Phillips with a £40million offer for Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella.
They will look to offset their own spending with the sales of £50m-rated Arsenal target Gabriel Jesus, plus Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
City defender CJ Egan-Riley is to join Burnley for an initial £350,000 with a further £400,000 based on appearances and sell-on clause.