Leeds United is giving one final push for promotion, but they are keeping all options open.
As 17th-place Queens Park Rangers shocked Leeds United 4-0 on Friday, the team was left stunned. Daniel Farke’s team was hammered at Loftus Road after failing to find a way through despite having the majority of the ball and trying 15 shots on goal.
Leeds are now very likely to miss out on finishing in the top two because Ipswich Town poses a real threat to their season-long success. With a game remaining, the Tractor Boys and the Whites share 90 points at the moment, and a win could force Leeds into the play-offs and prevent them from receiving automatic promotion.
The team Leeds plays for the upcoming season may have a big influence on their summer transfer window business. Their chances of attracting top players will inevitably increase after they are promoted to the Premier League, but the club’s executives don’t appear to be letting that derail their plans.
Regardless of whether they compete in the Premier League or Championship next season, Leeds ‘want to sign’ Nat Phillips from Liverpool, according to the Sunday Mirror’s most recent print edition. The defender was allegedly on the team’s “wish list” in January, but the agreement fell through, and Phillips signed a loan to Cardiff City.
The 27-year-old played for Celtic for the first half of the season before Liverpool called him back. He then moved to Wales for his second loan spell, and since then, he has appeared in every Cardiff Championship game. He was born in Scotland.
With the club embarking on a new and uncertain era, Phillips’ future “remains unclear” as he approaches the last 12 months of his current contract. The centre back has expressed his desire to play regularly, but it’s unclear if the club will cash in to avoid losing players for free the following season or if Phillips and other fringe players will get opportunities under the new manager after Jurgen Klopp leaves at the end of the campaign.
The Bolton-born defender came through for Liverpool in the 2020–21 season amid a defensive injury crisis. But when players like Virgil van Dijk and others got healthy again, Phillips fell back in the standings.
Over the years, Klopp has waxed poetic about Phillips, complimenting his work ethic and disposition. At one point, he even called Phillips a “monster” in the air. According to Transfermarkt, the 27-year-old is currently only worth €3.5 million (£3 million).
