Kalvin Phillips' future at Leeds United is set to be one of the ongoing stories of this summer's transfer window, with Manchester City reportedly holding an interest in signing the 26-year-old Leeds captain.
It would be a surprising move given City's strength in that position, with Rodri excelling in the holding role at the Etihad, but with Fernandinho leaving the club it would be a move to bring competition and depth to the role. Phillips would also be familiar with the style of football played at the Etihad after his years playing under Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road.
However, there will be plenty of Leeds fans who would be sad to see the deep-lying playmaker leave the club following years of good service and there will be hope that City can source an alternative option to solve their midfield problem.
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Here, we take a look at some of the names City could look to as an alternative to the England international.
Declan Rice
Following their exploits together at Euro 2020, Phillips and Rice found themselves as two of the most talked about midfielders in the country. As England reached the final, they formed a double pivot which worked in both a 3-4-3 system as well as in a 4-2-3-1, with their skillsets complementing each other well.
Rice is perhaps more of a box-to-box player who is capable of scoring as well as defending. However, Phillips is more likely to be suited to a Pep Guardiola style given his range of passing from deep, but in terms of ability there is little to choose between the two.
One hope for Leeds fans is the two players' age profiles, with Rice being 23-years old, three years younger than Phillips, meaning that Guardiola would have more scope to mould the player to his style of play. However, one potential stumbling block could well be the former Chelsea academy player's reported £150 million asking price.
Jude Bellingham
Another English player, City could well be tempted to spend big on the 18-year-old Dortmund star, fitting the same model of signing young English talent as they did with Jack Grealish last summer. Bellingham is one of the top prospects in Europe and has impressed in an England shirt when called upon so far.
He is challenging Phillips for his England role but he is, however, a different kind of player who operates in more advanced areas with ball progression and dribbling some of his key skills. That said, he is still a dogged player with determination who could well be moulded into the type of defensive midfielder Guardiola is looking for.
Even if he does not move this summer, it could well be the case that City, along with Liverpool, will keep a close eye on his development in order to secure one of the top names in the English game. An asking price of £83 million is a reasonable fee and could well tempt the City hierarchy to bring him to the club alongside former Borussia Dortmund teammate Erling Haaland.
Yves Bissouma
The Brighton midfielder might well be on the radar of some of England's top six clubs this summer after another impressive season at Brighton. The 25-year-old has the sort of profile, coming from Brighton, which could well suit a role playing backup to Rodri with a view to progressing into a first-team role.
He is a specialist defensive midfielder, with interceptions and tackling being his most notable skills. However, Guardiola would not sign a player for this along and he is capable at moving the ball forward as well as dribbling.
He was a target for City last summer and would have a lower asking price than the other two names on this list, with the Athletic reporting that he would have an asking price of £50 million this summer. This would leave the club with scope to improve further in other areas.
