Kalvin Phillips' Leeds United exit moves one step closer as Man City date set

Leeds United’s talismanic defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips is one step closer to leaving his boyhood club with a date reportedly set for the 26-year-old’s medical.

Phillips will undergo customary fitness and health checks with Manchester City club doctors on Friday ahead of a £45 million move to the Etihad Stadium, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Whites supporters have been resigned to the possibility of losing the England international this summer but now it appears only the formality of passing his medical and signing a contract at his new club stands in the way of Phillips’ blockbuster deal.

Moving in the other direction, City teenager Darko Gyabi is likely to undergo his Leeds medical on Friday before agreeing a £5 million transfer to Elland Road.

Gyabi is yet to make a senior appearance in professional football but arrives highly-rated having been poached from Millwall for £300,000 as a 14-year-old.

Leeds are expected to reinvest the remaining £40 million on a replacement for Phillips given the England man’s influence on this Leeds side over the past four years.

Phillips’ evolution under Marcelo Bielsa as an aggressive defensive player with an eye for a pass alerted City boss Pep Guardiola, who has identified the Leeds-born midfielder as a ready-made replacement for recently departed Brazilian veteran Fernandinho.

He will compete alongside Spaniard Rodri at the base of City’s midfield, featuring in the UEFA Champions League as well as challenging for the Premier League title.