Leeds United speaking to Red Bull man in Kalvin Phillips replacement trio and attacking quartet - YEP 26/6/22
Leeds United are currently speaking to three potential replacements for Kalvin Phillips, including RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams.
By Graham Smyth
Manchester City are expected to complete their pursuit of
Phillips when he returns from his holiday and the YEP understands Whites
director of football Victor Orta is talking to a trio he believes could come in
this summer.
American international Adams is high up on Orta's list and
has worked with Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch twice previously, at New York Red
Bulls and RB Leipzig.
Adams, 23, moved to the Bundesliga to reunite with Marsch in
January 2019 and has racked up 102 appearances for Leipzig, 14 of which have
come in the Champions League.
The 19-cap midfielder, previously linked to Arsenal, has
shown versatility with stints at right-back and on the right side of midfield,
but the deep-lying position that Phillips made his own at Elland Road is where
Adams has played the vast majority of his football.
His fellow Red Bull player, Mohamed Camara, is another
player Orta admires and while a move for the Salzburg man cannot be ruled out,
he is thought to be at the pricier end of the options available to the Whites
in the market.
Leeds are bracing themselves for more serious offers for
Raphinha over the next week, having refused to even consider Arsenal's opening
bid for the Brazilian, and Orta is tracking a pair of replacements for the
potential wing vacancy.
He is also working on a centre forward, with two targets
topping his list. Leeds remain very interested in Brugge star Charles De
Ketelaere, who is also on AC Milan's radar.
The Whites are yet to make an offer for the 21-year-old, who
can play as a 10 and would complement Patrick Bamford in a front pairing,
should Marsch decide to go with his 4-2-2-2 system, but Orta is intent on
presenting what he believes to be a big opportunity for the Belgian.
Leeds could not expect to match the Serie A champions
financially and Champions League football could be key to the Belgian's next
move but what might stand in their favour is the significant game time that has
helped propel the careers of Illan Meslier and Raphinha since their arrivals
from Europe in the Premier League. The same level of involvement might not be
guaranteed if he moves to Milan or one of his other Champions League suitors.
Like many clubs Leeds are focusing most of their energy on
the permanent business before turning their attention to the loan market but
there could soon be some movement in the next week or so, for Elland Road
players seeking match minutes elsewhere. Orta and Marsch are faced with some
big decisions this summer over the likes of Charlie Cresswell, who found
himself involved in the Premier League last season due to the injury crisis but
could struggle for experience in the 2022/23 campaign if the more senior
players in front of him remain fit. Jamie Shackleton is another who could seek
opportunities elsewhere and a permanent move away cannot be ruled out.
A first batch of Leeds players will report for pre-season
testing tomorrow at Leeds Beckett, with those involved in summer internationals
set for a return next Monday.
