Manchester United have reportedly started work on a deal to sign Kalvin Phillips from rivals Leeds this summer amid rumours of Frenkie de Jong's arrival.
The 26-year-old midfielder is regarded as one of the finest Premier League players not currently playing for a so-called "Big Six" club. He was part of Gareth Southgate's side that reached the final of Euro 2020 last summer, losing to Italy in a penalty shootout.
Phillips is on course to become a Championship player, with Leeds 18th in the table. The West Yorkshire side are in a relegation battle with Burnley and Everton. Their final two Premier League games are against Brighton (home) and Brentford (away).
According to the Manchester Evening News, Phillips will change agents with a view to completing a move away from Elland Road this summer. He has two years left on his existing deal.
Phillips will be a brave man if he leaves Leeds for United. The midfielder is a boyhood Leeds supporter and his family are all believed to be passionate fans of the club. Leeds and United share a bitter rivalry, with few players moving between clubs.
Erik ten Hag will become United's new manager this summer and is expected to sign at least one new midfielder. The team's midfield is viewed as the weak point, with many questioning the ability of Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic. The Red Devils are also set to lose Paul Pogba, who is out of contract at the end of next month.
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United are believed to be weighing up a move for De Jong. Ten Hag has reportedly contacted the 25-year-old's agent Ali Dursun to see if he's interested in moving to Manchester. The Dutch coach worked with De Jong between 2017 and 2019 at Ajax.
De Jong still has four years remaining on his Barcelona contract, yet manager Xavi has reportedly given him the green light to join United. If he does leave the Camp Nou, Barcelona will be hoping to reclaim much of the £65million they paid for him in 2019.
"I haven't talked with him about his future," said Xavi before the rumours were made public. "He is playing at a very good level and has to continue here – he can be one of the best midfielders in the world for years to come.
"If it were up to me, I would continue here for many more years. He is very important and can mark an era here. He has to score, assist and he has to be the protagonist."
Speaking to The Guardian in February, De Jong said: "I'm very happy I'm at Barcelona: from a young age I've wanted to be here, so in that way it has been a dream come true. But I would have liked to win more trophies than we did in my first two years.
"I expected more in that sense, let's put it that way. But other than that, I'm very happy here and hopefully for many more years."
