Kalvin Phillips Leeds United homecoming hits snag as financial requirement revealed amid Man City opposition

Despite reports in the national media, the likelihood of England international Phillips making an Elland Road comeback are particularly slim, on account of the fact Leeds are not in a position to commit the necessary resources to signing such a player at this point in time.

Sentimentality is all well and good but since Phillips left in a £42 million transfer two summers ago, plenty has changed at Elland Road, not least the ownership. 49ers Enterprises have taken majority control of the club and are not in the business of expunging financial stability for a transfer that makes more sense from a PR perspective than in footballing terms.

MailOnline claim Leeds are preparing to push the button on an initial loan return for Phillips but for any such deal to come to fruition, allowances will need to be made. The 49ers are unlikely to sanction a move which sees Leeds cover the entirety of Phillips' reported £150,000-per-week wages, which would make him the Whites' highest earner by some margin. Meanwhile, parent club Manchester City are unlikely to subsidise Phillips' wages by enough of a percentage that would make a loan move palatable for Leeds, in the event they are promoted back to the Premier League.

Phillips' future is up in the air as the end of 2023/24 nears, with a route back at Man City even less likely than when he left on loan for West Ham United in January. A permanent stay at the London Stadium is all but ruled out after just three starts under David Moyes and an inflammatory reaction to Hammers supporters following defeat against Newcastle United at St James' Park - a game in which the 28-year-old was substituted on with West Ham leading 3-1, before conceding a penalty for a foul on Anthony Gordon and ultimately losing 4-3.

Many a sporting director will perceive Phillips as damaged goods, a player who has scarcely featured over the past two years, lost his place in the England squad and has been the subject of comments regarding his weight by former boss Pep Guardiola. In short, his options are somewhat limited, which makes a potentially newly-promoted Leeds the obvious destination to outside observers.

City's asking price is reported to be £30 million which patently Leeds are in no position to spend while still a Championship club. Nor are they likely to spend such a sum on a defensive midfielder who turns 29 later this year when 23-year-old pair Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu and 18-year-old Archie Gray have demonstrated this season they can be the future of Leeds' midfield. If Leeds are to bolster their central midfield options this summer, it'll likely be for a player with a propensity for finding the net as Ampadu, Gray, Gruev and Glen Kamara are yet to accumulate a single league goal between them this season.

The squad planning issue is a mere footnote when taking into account Leeds' financials. United owe other clubs £190 million in outstanding transfer fees and are likely to crystallise losses on players this coming summer as they look to offload the bulk of those currently out on loan, many of whom arrived for substantial fees. Owing an additional £30 million, even if that is deferred by a season by bringing Phillips in on an initial loan and likely spread out over the length of a contract, puts Leeds in a difficult financial position considering how likely a return to the Championship is for newly-promoted sides.

Reports of Leeds' willingness to re-sign Phillips are most probably wide of the mark anyway. The 49ers are not the type to count their chickens before they've hatched and Leeds' promotion chances have taken a considerable dent over the past fortnight. And even if the financials involved in such a deal were appealing, the club's manager Daniel Farke is evidently not one for sentimentality. His first year at Leeds has seen gradual evolution, moving away from those who played a central role in the Whites' last promotion; Luke Ayling joined Middlesbrough on loan in January ahead of his contract expiring this summer, while club captain Liam Cooper has had to settle for a place on the bench even when fit, as Joe Rodon and Ampadu have been preferred at centre-half.

It mirrors the German's approach during his first season at Norwich City, moving on lots of the club's high-earners and experienced players whose efficacy was on the wane following relegation from the top flight. He has also expressed the view that teenager Gray's best position is in midfield and while his specific role in that area of the pitch is slightly different to Phillips', the club's priority should be creating a pathway for the younger Leeds academy graduate to flourish, rather than extending an olive branch to a player ten years his senior.

Phillips to Leeds is an easy link to make, and it will be a common talking point throughout the summer transfer window. It would not be a surprise if the Whites' hierarchy did make exploratory contact with Man City to discover what it would take to re-sign the 28-year-old. The problem is, what Leeds are likely to be told on such a fact-finding mission will render a return unviable.

Phillips' fondness for the club is well-documented, as is Leeds fans' reciprocal feeling, but if promotion is secured and this team seeks to evolve, there are several issues that ultimately make a homecoming a non-starter.