Sport nationKalvin Phillips is faced with the prospect of a significant salary reduction if he wishes to make a comeback to Leeds United, thereby putting an end to his challenging stint at Manchester City.
Since his £50 million transfer from Leeds to Manchester City in 2022, Phillips has only managed to start in six matches for City and is presently on loan at West Ham. The loan was intended to help Phillips regain his form in anticipation of Euro 2024, but the outcome has been less than satisfactory.
Phillips has not managed to win over the fans at West Ham, and his frustration was evident when he gestured rudely towards the supporters after a 4-3 loss to Newcastle on Saturday, a match during which he also gave away a penalty.
Despite Phillips’ recent form, the Daily Star reports that there will be no shortage of interest in him this summer, with City prepared to let him go for approximately £25 million. Leeds United is among the interested parties, contingent on their promotion to the Premier League.
Leeds United is currently in a strong position in the Championship, under the management of Daniel Farke, but Phillips’ current wages of £150,000-a-week at City pose a potential obstacle. Leeds’ top earner, Patrick Bamford, earns significantly less than half of that amount.
The club’s executives are hesitant to disrupt their existing wage structure for Phillips. It remains uncertain whether Phillips is prepared to accept a substantial pay cut to return to Elland Road. Newcastle United has also shown interest in the midfielder.
West Ham does not have the option to make Phillips’ loan deal permanent this summer. However, West Ham’s manager, David Moyes, has expressed confidence in Phillips’ ability to return to form. Moyes emphasized the importance of support for Phillips, both from the club and the fans, and assured that Phillips is in good spirits, back in training, and the team has moved past the weekend’s incident.
Moyes is preparing for the upcoming match and believes in Phillips’ capabilities as an international-level player and an excellent footballer, confident that there is still time to make the most out of Phillips’ stay at West Ham.
Citations:
[1] https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/web/direct-files/5413945/e82324a1-ca0f-402b-bdf1-9f4cee860b09/paste.txt
Sport nation
