Newcastle are reportedly one of the sides keeping tabs on the future of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, ahead of the summer. A player, that Alan Shearer clearly likes – calling him a complete midfielder in 2021.
Phillips, 25, has been excellent for the Whites ever since breaking into the side and making his senior debut in 2015 – a 4-3 defeat to Wolves under Neil Redfearn. He has since clocked up 226 appearances for the Yorkshire side.
This season, it has been tricky for Phillips. A hamstring injury has kept him sidelined for the last nine Premier League matches – while he has used the spell out of the side to also go under the knife and fix a shoulder issue.
But if anything, his absence highlights just how much Leeds need him. 90Min report, though, that talks over a new deal have not yet been held and some of the Premier League’s biggest sides are keen, ahead of the summer.
Newcastle – as well as Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea – are monitoring the situation. Speaking about Phillips after his performance against Croatia at Euro 2020, Toon legend Shearer gave a glowing verdict of Phillips.
“I thought he was man of the match for England today,” he told BBC One. “I thought he was superb from start to finish. He had an energy, he had a maturity, he had everything you want from a midfielder.
“He was up, he was down. The pass for the goal was superb. He was protecting that back four at times. Fantastic,” Shearer added. The Mirror report that Phillips will cost in the region of £60million in the summer.
Shearer on Phillips: Leeds star a stunning Newcastle addition
That is, even after Newcastle spent in the region of £40million to sign Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon. Newcastle also boast Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden, Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff.
But while Shelvey and Willock are impressing and Bruno is yet to start a match, Phillips would be a huge improvement on their current options. Alongside the more box-to-box Bruno, the duo compliment eachother.
It would be a stunning midfield partnership, up there with some of the best in the Premier League – certainly one that Manchester United could only dream of. But will he leave boyhood club Leeds? That, is another question.
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