Leeds chasing the big movement to sign a “generational” star in England

Leeds United’s head coach Daniel Farke has strengthened his options in the middle of the park with the additions of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach in the summer transfer window.

The German boss has decided to add physicality to his options in the midfield to support the technical quality that Ethan Ampadé, Ao Tanaka and Ilia Gruev offer to the team.

The absence of Ampadu in the midfield was felt during the 5-0 defeat against Arsenal to the Emirates on Saturday, because the Gunners found too easy to go to Gruev to run to the defense of Leeds.

The midfielder’s midfielder was so important for the West Yorkshire’s holding during the last promotion of the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, which led the club to a higher finish.

Leeds had a first sensational season in the high flight to finish relegation well, and a key element of their success was to have a solid midfielder.

Kalvin Phillips, a graduate of the Academy, played an important role in the efficiency of the team in the middle of the park, with his fantastic performances during his first year in the Premier League.

How Kalvin Phillips gained a call in England

The star born by Yorkshire started 37 times in the 2019/20 campaign championship, by Sofascore, while Leeds was heading for the title, which was triggered in locking.

Phillips won 4.0 plated and interceptions per game, winning 54% of its global duels in the division, but there was always an interrogation point to find out if it would be able to manage the quality of the championship at the Premier League.

Boy answered this question and left no doubt. The number 23 of Leeds succeeded in the ground in the Premier League and directed the midfielder for whites to help them reach a higher finish in the 2020/21 campaign.

In fact, after a single Premier League season with Leeds, Phillips was described as one of the best world football circles by his teammate and captain Liam Cooper.

His statistics in the Haut-Vol des whites in the 2020/21 campaign show that he was among the best players in England, at least, as far as being a defensive monster in the midfield.

As you can see in the table above, Phillips ranked well among his positional peers, and he did not go unnoticed by Gareth Southgate, who made him a key element from England to the European Championship in 2021.

The English star started seven times on his country to lose in the final against Italy, and whites are now interested in a star who could follow in the traces of Phillips.

Leeds Eye Ambitious Move for England Star

According to word Leeds News, Leeds United is looking at an “ambitious” approach to sign the central midfielder from Manchester United and England Kobbie Main.

The report says that the injury to Ampadu sparked Elland Road a little concern, and that the graduate of the Red Devils Academy emerged as a transfer target for them at the end of the summer transfer window.

This adds that Leeds would like to sign one more midfielder before the deadline for next week and that Mainoo is aligned as a possible loan goal for the Farke team.

The point of sale reveals that Mainoo would be open to a transfer far from Old Trafford, but Manchester United cannot sanction a loan agreement so late in the window.

Word Leeds News says, however, that the situation could change and an opportunity could open if the player decided to put pressure for a move in the coming days.

Why Kobbie Main should sign for Leeds United

Abandoning Manchester United, even if it is just on loan, for Leeds may not seem to be an obvious career decision for Mainoo, even despite the situation in which the Red Devils find themselves, but that could be the right one for his career.

It’s a year of the World Cup for players, the World Cup that takes place in Mexico, the United States and Canada next year, and that means they have to play regularly and play well, to put pressure for a place in the tournament.

Mainoo was an unused substitute in the first two games of the Premier League season of Manchester United, despite his team only a point compared to these games, and does not seem to have much hope of crashing in the midfielder of Ruben Amorim.

However, the passage from Farke to a 4-3-3 this season could offer Mainoo the perfect platform to excel as one of the two eight before a number six, which is not something of which he has luxury in the Amorim system.

At the start of last season, expert Robbie Earle said: “You hear the term generational talent when you talk about this type. He controls the game for Man United, he has maturity and the ability to slow down the game and make sure people are in place.

“He plays like a 29 year old child not a 19 -year -old child, he has a balance, an athletics, an ability in and around the box, it’s an absolute jewel, you build a team around him.”

United did not take these words into account because they then hired a manager who played a system that did not suit his talents, hence the reason why he now found himself as paria in Old Trafford.

As you can see in the table above, Mainoo excelled in the 2023/24 campaign, before arrival and change of Amorim, as a midfielder with the license to transport the ball and take the players.

As part of a midfielder three, the star of England could excel at Leeds by receiving the perfect platform to present his best attributes in the middle of the park as a regular starter in the Premier League.

This is why Mainoo should push to finish a loan move to Elland Road in the coming days, because he could follow Phillips using Leeds as a place to put the pressure for a starting place for England in a major tournament at the end of the season.