KALACTICOS
Pep continues signing big names and Three Lions stars with £45M deal for Leeds midfielder Phillips MAN CITY TAKE SUMMER SPENDING TO £100M
ANDERSON and DAVID McDONNELL MANCHESTER CITY have agreed a £45million deal with Leeds for Kalvin Phillips to take their summer spending to nearly £100m. As first revealed by Mirror Sport last month, England midfielder Phillips was Pep Guardiola’s firstchoice to replace Fernandinho, who left City at the end of last season.
And last night they agreed to pay Leeds an initial £42m for Phillips plus another £3m in add-ons. The
capture of the England international takes their spending to £96m following the £51m signing of Erling Haaland.
Phillips, 26, is on holiday after playing for England during their Nations League campaign at the start of the month.
He is expected to have his medical next week before he reports back for pre-season training with City in the second week of July. Phillips was keen to join the champions once he became aware of their interest and personal terms will not be an issue.
Phillips had been in negotiations with Leeds over a new deal before talks halted some months ago and he can expect his salary to treble to more than £120,000 a week.
City will feel they have got value for money with Phillips, who had two years left on his contract at Elland Road, and West Ham claim they had a £50m offer for him rejected in the summer.
Aston Villa, Newcastle and Manchester United expressed interest in him, while West Ham had a £55m offer rejected in January.
But City’s interest blew them all out of the water and diehard Leeds fan Phillips was adamant he would never join United.
Separately, Leeds are signing 18-year-old midfielder Darko Gyabi from City for £5m.
Gyabi is a product of Millwall’s academy and progressed to play for City’s EDS side last season.
The box-to-box midfielder has agreed a four-year deal and is expected to have his medical next week.
Leeds have signed Spaniard Marc Roca from Bayern Munich for £10m and they will want another senior midfielder.
Phillips’ departure after 12 years leaves a huge hole and Leeds like RB Leipzig’s US midfielder Tyler Adams, who has played under head coach Jesse Marsch.