Leeds United and Manchester City agree fee for Kalvin Phillips

The Athletic have revealed a deal totalling £45m for Leeds United hero Kalvin Phillips has been agreed between the Yorkshire side and Premier League champions, Manchester City.

The writing seemed to be on the wall for a while, despite reports that Phillips actually wanted to sign a new deal at Elland Road.

However, it seems The Whites have not been able to resist the cash offered up by Manchester City, in a well-deserved move for a player so instrumental in Leeds’ Premier League status up to this point.

The deal is expected to be finalised next week before the 26-year-old is due back at Thorp Arch for pre-season training. The Athletic also say that Phillips is, unsurprisingly, keen on the move, particularly ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.

It will for sure be an emotional departure for Phillips, who came through the academy from childhood and has achieved so much beyond what anyone expected of him, at least before Marcelo Bielsa came along.

But the Leeds hierarchy must turn their attention to replacing him, with a deal for Manchester City youngster, Darko Gyabi now in the works. The deal could reportedly be worth £5m and the move would not be in conjunction with Phillips’ move to City.

What do you make of this deal? Who would you like to see come in to replace Phillips? Let us know on Twitter @ThruItAllLUFC.