What is Man Utd target Kalvin Phillips’ transfer value?
Manchester United have opened transfer talks with Leeds over a potential deal for England midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The Manchester Evening News reports that the Red Devils have elected to target the 26-year-old in part due to West Ham’s belligerence over a fee for Declan Rice.
Leeds are not actively looking to sell Phillips and have been hopeful of tying him down to a new contract, as FootballTransfers previously reported. However, if they were to receive a fee that they thought was well in excess of his market value – it is suggested they are ready to hold out for €71 million (£60m) - then they could sell.
Incoming Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag is set to be handed a significant budget to improve his squad in the summer after Ralf Rangnick admitted the team needs the footballing equivalent of “open heart surgery”, and Phillips is one player he appears to have prioritised.
Leeds have set their asking price, but what is Phillips worth?
Man Utd face huge Phillips markup
According to FootballTransfers’ algorithm, the midfielder’s true value is around the €30m (£25m) mark, with a top estimate of €38m (£32m). This is based around hundreds of in-game data points as well as external factors, such as contract length and strength of the selling club.
One factor that will notably see his value lower than some might expect is his injury history, particularly this season. He has managed only 17 matches in all competitions and has spent much of the last four months on the sidelines.
Furthermore, Leeds are likely to demand a hefty fee from Man Utd as there is inevitably a huge markup on English players – and especially internationals – when they transfer between Premier League teams.
As Phillips goes into the final two years of his contract, his value will start to dimmish after this summer, which is perhaps the last chance that Leeds will have to get absolute top dollar for their player.