Podcaster Dan Moylan has talked about whether Leeds United would’ve sold Kalvin Phillips if they had stayed in the Championship for another season.
Moylan was hosting the latest episode of The Square Ball podcast and the panel talked about various issues involving Leeds United and their financial situation.
They talked about how things could’ve been for Leeds if they had stayed in the Championship and had failed to earn promotion to the top flight. Moylan made it clear that if that was the case, the Whites might have had to sell Phillips for a fee around £25 million.
Is Kalvin Phillips indispensable for Leeds?
Yes
No
Phillips is currently valued at £24.3 million and Liverpool and Tottenham have previously been linked with a move for the England international.
Moylan talked about the possibility of the club losing Phillips, saying that it would have been a ‘horrible thought’ if they had sold him in the Championship.
The podcaster stated: “I mean, the major factor here as well is, let’s take out the £20m that was paid out for promotion bonuses, and you’ve suddenly got losses then, of what, in the mid-forty millions? Then £7m of that TV money you take out as well, because we wouldn’t have got it in the first place. So you’re back down into the thirty millions. And we know the club were looking at bids of £25m for Kalvin Phillips.
“I mean, it’s a horrible thought, but if we hadn’t gone up, we knew, I think, that he would have had to be sold. But that then balances the books, doesn’t it? And this is how Championship clubs manage to keep their heads above water.”
TIF Thoughts on Phillips…
Phillips’ market value at Leeds has only risen over the last few months – especially since the end of the previous campaign. It shows that he’s a very valuable asset for the Whites.
Only three Leeds players have picked up better ratings than him this season, as he’s played the fourth-most key passes per game. He’s also made the fourth-highest number of interceptions per game as well.
This shows that he plays an important role on the pitch for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and he’s been performing at a high level since Leeds’ time in the Championship. So losing the Englishman could still be a blow for the Whites.
In other news: ‘It’s going to cost another £35m’ – Kieran Maguire drops ‘interesting’ Leeds financial claim