Leeds journalist Phil Hay has made a claim on the future of midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
This comes after Hay recently made an appearance on The Athletic’s EFL-based podcast Going Up, Going Down to preview the upcoming resumption of the Championship season.
On the topic of what could be going on for Leeds during the summer, Hay shared his thoughts on some potentially big changes at the club if they were to miss out on promotion.
He said: “Come this summer, if they aren’t promoted, I think [there will be] big, big question marks over [Marcelo] Bielsa’s future and the future of other key players – Kalvin Phillips being the main one who I think would certainly leave if he was looking at another season in this division as opposed to the Premier League.
“So it’s crucial in a lot of senses, it is a very, very key, critical moment. And I suspect the players know themselves, that having missed that opportunity last season, if they don’t get there this time around, the odds say that it won’t come again for them.
“Promotion is huge anywhere and it’s significant wherever you play, but when you’re at a club of this size, who have been out of the Premier League for 16 years, and who have been desperate for this for so, so long, outside of the Premier League and outside of the biggest prizes going, there isn’t much else to compete with it.”
Phillips has been a pivotal figure for Leeds so far this season having made 31 Championship appearances in this campaign.
His performances in those appearances have earned the midfielder a season rating of 7.2/10, making him the second-highest rated player in Leeds’ squad this year (per WhoScored).
Would you sell or keep Phillips this summer if Leeds don't get promoted?
Keep him
Sell him
TIF Thoughts…
Given how impressive Phillips has been for Bielsa’s side so far this season, it would be safe to assume that the club would be hoping to see him stay at Elland Road and help his team if they manage to get promoted to the Premier League.