Transfer News: Antonio Conte wants Tottenham Hotspur to sign Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips
According to The Telegraph [Subscription Required] (h/t The Sun), Antonio Conte wants Tottenham Hotspur to sign Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips in the summer transfer window. They are laying down the plans for a summer overhaul in an attempt to raise the squad’s quality.
Conte has made several transfer demands to Tottenham ahead of the next season. He is looking to turn his side into title challengers this summer which has prompted him to take this stance. His needs include signing two midfielders, and Phillips is one such target who is being eyed by the boss.
The Italian manager is a keen admirer of the Englishman, and he wants Spurs to finalise a move for the midfielder. However, there are doubts on whether Daniel Levy would engage in a transfer tussle with Manchester United, who would pose heavy competition for his signature.
Spurs to sign Phillips?
We could use a midfielder in our ranks, especially after the three departures we had in January. While Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele could return after their loan spell, it is unlikely that they would stay with us when Conte allowed them to depart in the first place.
Even with Rodrigo Bentancur’s arrival, we only have just four midfielders in our squad, which is not ideal for a long season. What’s more, if we also achieve Champions League qualification, we need to have a healthy number of options to cope with the raised demands.
Hence, it is understandable why Conte is looking to sign two more midfielders. Phillips, who is contracted at Elland Road until 2024, is a great choice indeed and would suit the North Londoners as they are looking to meet UEFA’s homegrown player rule.
UEFA only allows teams competing in Europe to have 17 foreign players in their squads. We already have 16 players who fall into that category, but Phillips would not be included, which gives more incentive to sign him.
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Phillips, who has enjoyed a rapid rise over the last year at the club and country level, would be a great addition to our ranks. While there are doubts over whether we can compete with Man United or not, their rivalry with the Whites could potentially turn the tide in our favour.
What’s more, the 26-year-old is also a well-known childhood fan of Leeds, which can lend us a hand in this transfer race. Whether Levy would push for a move based on that advantage or not remains to be seen.
