Leeds United continue to face increasing pressure over the sale of Kalvin Phillips, with Manchester City intensifying their interest in the England star. The Premier League champions are thought to be readying an official approach with an eye to securing the midfielder before pre-season kicks off.
Pep Guardiola sees Phillips as the successor to the departing Fernandinho and wants to strengthen the English core of the side that includes Kyle Walker, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. City will want to secure the deal quickly and believe they can secure the 26-year-old for between £45-55million.
Those in charge at Elland Road will have been aware for some time that their midfield lynchpin would move on to the European stage at some point, and Victor Orta will no doubt have a list of potential replacements. The arrival of Marc Roca from Bayern Munich was always an addition rather than a replacement, and several more defensive central midfielders have been linked with a move to Elland Road.
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And with those links set to become more common, LeedsLive has picked out three of the best options to replace Kalvin Phillips.
Tyler Adams
Links with Tyler Adams have intensified significantly in recent days - arguably a sign that the club are moving faster as they are becoming increasingly resigned to losing Phillips. The midfielder looks to be on his way out of RB Leipzig after falling down the pecking order under Domenico Tedesco.
Leeds are monitoring the situation in Germany and would be keen to bring in the 23-year-old for a second reunion with Jesse Marsch - the Whites boss gave Adams his debut at New York Red Bulls and was assistant manager when he signed for Leipzig in 2019.
Adams fits the profile for a Phillips replacement and would also be a perfect partner for Roca as his strengths lie in winning the ball back and screening the defence. The American is athletic and positionally intelligent, providing the legs to a midfield duo with a deep playmaker.
Mohamed Camara
The Whites could make a third trip to Austria to bring in RB Salzburg midfielder Mohamed Camara, who has been outstanding for his current club. The 22-year-old is part of the first-team plans at Salzburg and would likely cost more than Adams as a result, but his speed in the middle of the park would provide a perfect balance alongside Roca.
The diminutive destroyer is an intelligent reader of the game and has explosive speed across short distances in the midfield. Furthermore, the Mali international is composed and agile in possession, luring in pressing midfielders before spinning and bursting into space.
Securing the midfielder would be a tough ask this summer, however, with a host of Champions League level sides seriously interested.
Nicolás Domínguez
Bologna midfielder Nicolas Dominguez is yet to be linked with a move anywhere this summer but is no doubt on the radar of several European giants. The Argentine proved to be one of the best defensive midfielders under 25-years-old last season for his tough tackling and defensive intelligence.
At just 23-years-old, Dominguez has his best years ahead of him and has the potential to be as good - if not better - than Phillips come his peak years. Similarly to the other two, his defensive contribution would dovetail well with someone like Roca.
If the Whites are to swoop in for the Bologna man then they will need to do so quickly, as there is no doubt that Champions League clubs will be looking to move in over the summer. The midfielder is contracted until 2024 s would command a fee in the region of around £25-30million, but at half the price of the potential Phillips sale he would still provide great value.
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