talkSPORT pundit Danny Murphy has said that he’s surprised that Kalvin Phillips is still at Leeds.
Phillips, 23, was linked heavily with a move over the summer, with Aston Villa among other Premier League sides linked with him.
Talking on the Jim White Show (talkSPORT, Monday, 10am), the host praised the atmosphere at Elland Road on Saturday, when Leeds drew 1-1 with Derby County, and said that Kalvin Phillips was a standout player.
Murphy replied saying, “I’m surprised he’s still there. I like him a lot. He’s a great passer, tenacious… If Leeds don’t go up this season, and I really hope they do for their sake, he will leave.”
Phillips a standout for Leeds
Phillips is a consistent standout performer at Leeds and averaged a 6.98 rating on WhoScored last season. That got him on the radars of Premier League clubs this summer and he’s kicked on in the 19/20 season under Marcelo Bielsa, with an average rating of 7.42.
He hasn’t sipped below a 7 this season and was the best player on the pitch in two of Leeds’ eight league games, according to WhoScored, in the 1-0 win against Brentford (7.75) and the 2-0 win against Barnsley (8.39).
He was also rated as the second-best player on the pitch, after Patrick Bamford, in the game on Saturday.
Will he leave if they don’t get promoted?
Leeds fans won’t want to see him leave but we doubt many would begrudge him a shot at the Premier League if Leeds don’t get promoted.
Leeds are top of the league at the moment, but dropped two points in a game they dominated against Derby.
Phillips signed a new contract after the summer transfer window closed, but Football Insider revealed that he has a buy-out clause that can be triggered if Leeds don’t get promoted.
That suggests Leeds have just one more season with him in the Championship. Atheltic journalist Phil Hay claimed that Leeds turned down £27m for him in the summer. That’s a huge amount of money for a Championship player and it seems that Leeds would be forced to cash in if they don’t go up.