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Liverpool: Reds have strong interest in Kalvin Phillips
Liverpool are interested in signing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to a report from The Mirror.
The lowdown: Phillips a wanted man
Currently a one-club man, Phillips came through the ranks in Yorkshire and has amassed 234 appearances for his boyhood club so far.
Many of those outings came in the Championship before Leeds returned to the Premier League in 2020, and since then the 26-year-old has proven his worth in the top flight and become a regular England international.
Such strong performances have sparked an increased level of transfer interest as Manchester United, Manchester City and West Ham all reporetdly take admiring glances at the combative midfielder.
The latest: Liverpool in the mix for Phillips
As per The Mirror, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is now ‘ready to rival’ Pep Guardiola for the signing of the 19-cap England ace.
It is claimed that the German is ‘understood to admire’ Phillips, with Leeds ‘bracing themselves for interest’ this summer after narrowly avoiding relegation last month.
The report added that it will cost around £60m to sign the midfielder, who was hailed as ‘superb’ at Euro 2020 by Oliver Kay after starting all seven games for Gareth Southgate’s side at the finals.
The verdict: Worthwhile target
Seemingly set to miss out on Aurelien Tchouameni, with Real Madrid the hot favourites to land the AS Monaco sensation, it’s no surprise that Klopp and Julian Ward would be seeking an alternative option for the upcoming transfer window.
During an injury-hit 2021/22 campaign, Phillips earned a 6.84 Sofascore rating whilst winning an impressive 4.8 duels, making 1.2 interceptions and completing 38.9 accurate passes per game.
Should Liverpool sign Phillips?
Definitely. he's perfect
No, overrated
Aside from the battling qualities that the first of those metrics indicates, the 26-year-old displayed impressive versatility in the process when operating as a central defender, and as a more natural defensive midfielder.
Despite the lofty asking price, signing the Englishman as an understudy to Fabinho and to supplement Jordan Henderson would be a smart move by Liverpool, given his proven Premier League experience, age profile and positive impact on the all-important homegrown quota within the squad.
In other news: A fresh rumour has emerged over a possible Sadio Mane successor
