Manchester United and Liverpool battle for £60m Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips - Paper Round

ByAlexander Netherton

Updated 28/10/2021 at 07:22 GMT

Manchester United and Liverpool are looking set to battle it out for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, and he could cost £60m. Elsewhere, Thiago Silva will probably leave Chelsea at the end of the season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would get £7.5m if sacked, and Ronald Koeman could soon be on his way out.

Liverpool and United circle Phillips

Kalvin Phillips is wanted by both Manchester United and Liverpool this summer. Leeds United want to extend the 25-year-old England midfielder’s contract beyond 2024, and give him a pay rise. Both United and Liverpool need new midfielders and The Mirror suggests he could cost around £60 million.

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Paper Round’s view: Phillips has demonstrated his consistent Premier League ability for more than a season now, and his England national team performances have shown that he can cut it on the international stage. All he has to prove is that he can step up to a top four or Champions League stage.

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Chelsea expect Silva exit

The Sun reports that Chelsea are planning for life without Thiago Silva at the end of the season, with the 37-year-old Brazilian exploring the possibility of returning to Brazil with Fluminese. That would see Chelsea continue to develop Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr this season, and Jules Kounde could arrive in the summer.

Paper Round’s view: Aged 37, it’s a big risk for Chelsea to offer a contract to a player that old, even one as talented as Silva. Given their reluctance to keep on older players it is to be expected that they would give younger players the chance to step up now, especially if it helps to avoid splashing out on Kounde.

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Solskjaer would receive £7.5m payoff

If Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is sacked by the club, then he would be entitled to £7.5m, according to a story in The Daily Mail. That would represent a year’s salary for the Norwegian, who has seen the club suffer a miserable 5-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool at the weekend.

Paper Round’s view: £7.5 million is a drop in the ocean when it comes to United’s yearly budget, and replacing the limiting factor on a squad for such a relatively small amount would make sense - provided United know they can get a talented manager afterwards. There is no guarantee that United have the ability to do that.

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