Leeds United enjoyed a relatively quiet January transfer window as the deadline passed without much movement in or out of Elland Road ahead of the second half of the season.
Leo Hjelde was allowed to leave on a permanent deal as Championship rivals Sunderland swooped in to secure the versatile defender's services.
Darko Gyabi, Luke Ayling, and Ian Poveda were also all sent out on loan to Plymouth Argyle, Middlesbrough, and Sheffield Wednesday respectively, whilst Djed Spence's loan in Yorkshire from Tottenham Hotspur was cut short.
Daniel Farke then moved to sign Wales international Connor Roberts from Premier League side Burnley on deadline day as his only addition of the window, to bolster his options in the full-back position after Ayling and Spence's exits.
The Whites now reportedly have one eye on the summer transfer window as they are said to be considering a big swoop for a former player if they win promotion to the Premier League in May.
Latest Leeds transfer news
According to Football Insider, Farke is eyeing up a possible move for Manchester City central midfielder Kalvin Phillips ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
The report claims that the Yorkshire-based side will be in the 'market' to sign the England international on a permanent deal if they make their way out of the Championship.
It states that the Whites are expected to spend heavily in the summer if they are promoted to the top-flight, and they have already identified their former star as one of their top targets.
Football Insider claims that Leeds expect Phillips to return to Manchester City at the end of his current loan spell with West Ham United and then be sold on a permanent deal at the end of the season.
This comes just under two years after his £45m move away from Elland Road to sign for Pep Guardiola's side in the summer of 2022 – a switch that earned him a wage of £140k-per-week.
However, the report does not reveal how much it would cost to secure his services on a permanent basis this summer, or how much Leeds are prepared to pay for him.
Before they worry about the financial implications of any swoop for Phillips, Leeds must, first, ensure that they win promotion back to the Premier League.
Leicester City
1
34
78
Leeds United
2
34
72
Ipswich Town
3
34
72
Southampton
4
34
67
West Brom
5
34
56
Hull
6
34
55
As you can see in the table above, Farke's side are currently in the automatic promotion places and are, therefore, on course to make an instant return to the top-flight.
However, Ipswich are level on points with the Whites and there could be plenty more twists and turns, with Southampton also not far behind, with 12 matches left to play before the end of the campaign.
If Leeds do end up in the top two and make their way back to the top of the footballing pyramid in England then they could land an upgrade on current star Glen Kamara by securing a deal to sign Phillips.
Glen Kamara's metronomic performances
The club swooped in to sign the Finland international from Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers, and he has enjoyed a strong season in the middle of the park.
FFC recently picked Kamara out as the real hero of the night for Leeds as they beat Leicester 3-1 at Elland Road on Friday night, as the 28-year-old maestro showcased his qualities in and out of possession.
Appearances
26
Goals + assists
Two
Key passes per game
1.2
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.9
Duel success rate
59%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the former Arsenal prospect has offered quality as a creator in midfield whilst also being a strong presence off the ball as he has won the majority of his physical duels.
Kamara has also completed 93% of his attempted passes and made 7.28 progressive passes per 90, which places him within the top 6% of his positional peers in the Championship this season.
These statistics show that the Leeds dynamo is reliable in possession and looks to create for his teammates with progressive passing, to go along with tackles and interceptions to win the ball back for his side.
Why Phillips could be an upgrade on Kamara
Farke could, however, land an upgrade on Kamara by securing a deal to sign Phillips, who has proven his quality in the Championship and the Premier League.
During the 2019/20 campaign, in which Leeds won the second tier title, the English maestro made 37 league appearances for the club and caught the eye in and out of possession.
Phillips, who was hailed as "excellent" by Marcelo Bielsa, made 1.8 key passes and 4.0 tackles and interceptions per match for the Whites.
This means that he produced 0.6 more key passes and made 2.1 more tackles and interceptions per game for Leeds than Kamara has managed so far this season, which suggests that he has the quality to offer more to the team at both ends of the pitch.
The 28-year-old gem has also proven himself in the Premier League as he impressed under Bielsa during the 2020/21 top-flight campaign.
Tackles (2.74)
Top 12%
Interceptions (1.67)
Top 18%
Blocks (1.82)
Top 9%
Clearances (1.96)
Top 9%
As you can see in the table above, Bielsa's 'excellent' star was defensively outstanding for Leeds in their first season back in the big time, as he ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics.
Phillips, as evidenced by his Championship and Premier League statistics, has more quality out of possession than Kamara as he can win possession back far more frequently by cutting out opposition attacks.
That is a crucial trait to have in the top-flight as a newly-promoted team as it would be naive to expect to go up and dominate matches in the same way that they do in the second tier, which is why being strong defensively is key.
Therefore, Phillips, who also made more key passes per game than Kamara in his last season in the second division, could be a big upgrade on the current Leeds star if he can return to Elland Road and get back to his best.
One concern, however, would be that he has only started four Premier League games since the start of last term. At the age of 28, though, the talented whiz still has plenty of years left to give and could get back to match sharpness with a regular run of games in Yorkshire.