Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Leeds United contract rebel Kalvin Phillips during the January transfer window, it has been reported.
Although Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are at the head of the queue to acquire the services of Phillips, The Sun have claimed that Wolves are reluctant to pay £30million for him.
Apart from domestic competitions, Wolves will also feature in the Europa League this season, and signing Phillips will add some much-needed depth if they progress in the cup competitions.
Phillips’ contract with the Championship outfit is due to expire in the summer of 2021 and the talks of an extension have failed as he is apparently keen to play in the Premier League.
The midfielder was set to make an exit from the Elland Road during the summer transfer window but Leeds managed to keep him on their books.
Apart from Wolves, he was also linked to Bournemouth and Aston Villa but none of the aforesaid sides were willing to fork out £30million to sign him.
Apparently, Wolves are waiting to see a fall in his valuation in January, while Leeds United are desperate to control his price in the upcoming transfer windows.
What will he bring to the table?
Under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa, Phillips was a player reborn during the previous campaign and most importantly, he was consistent in his productivity.
Bielsa used him as a ball-playing defensive midfielder to add steel to his side’s midfield setup and he was impressive in his role.
Phillips acted as a link between his side’s defence and attack. Further, his strong physicality and notable perseverance made his stocks rise rapidly.
The 23-year-old mustered 44 appearances in the Championship last season and made 2.6 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game on an average.
He played a key role in helping the Peacocks finish inside the top-six, but they were denied promotion owing to their defeat at the hands of Derby County in the play-off semi-final.
Wolves might have Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss in their arsenal but Phillips will certainly bring competition for a place in the starting lineup.
Moreover, he will be a long-term asset for them. Phillips is a shrewd passer of the ball and a tough tackler, and will not find it hard to adjust to life at Wolves.
The all-action midfielder could be a valuable addition owing to his hunger, the capacity to retain possession and tremendous work-ethic and Wolves should look to go all out for him in January.
