The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Tuesday 14th June)

Good Morning. It's Tuesday 14th June, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


City make formal bid for Phillips

Multiple media sources are this morning suggesting that Manchester City have already tabled a bid to bring Kalvin Phillips across the Pennines to the Etihad. Pep Guardiola see's him as a perfect replacement for Fernandinho, who retired at the end of last season, at the ripe old age of 37. This is likely to spell the end of a twelve-year love affair between Leeds Utd and arguably their biggest star.

With the ink barely dry on the Erling Haaland deal, the blue side of Manchester have wasted no time in lining up Phillips. It is believed that Leeds will be holding out for a fee of 60m, whilst reports indicate that the Premier League Champions are prepared to offer a little less (£50m).

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Is Roca being lined up to replace Phillips

Leeds are expected to announce the capture of Bayern Munich central midfielder Marc Roca later this week. Interestingly, when the story broke, (last Wednesday on The Athletic) Phil Hay claimed that Roca would 'add competition for places', suggesting he was not coming in to replace Phillips. Could Leeds be bringing in a third midfielder this Summer as a replacement for the Yorkshire Pirlo?

Many fans may feel a little underwhelmed if Roca is bought in to replace an England regular; even though reports indicate that Orta may have unearthed an absolute bargain! Would you agree? If Leeds are to avoid another relegation dogfight next season, do they need to sign someone of Phillips' quality (assuming he goes to City). Are Klich and Forshaw still good enough for the top flight?

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Marsch plotting Philly raid for left back

Jesse Marsch could be plotting a raid on his former club Philadelphia Union to bring highly rated left back Kai Wagner to Elland Road this Summer. The 25-year-old German is closing in on a hundred appearances for the MLS club, and holds the accolade of being the best No 3 in the league. According to Leeds-Live, both Marsch and the 49ers see the American League as underappreciated with high-potential, low-cost talent. It is believed that a fee of £3m would be enough to secure a deal. It is hoped that Wagner would provide good competition for Firpo.

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I could provide good competition for Firpo.

 

Morning all

This window is about to become crazy now because journos now saying Liverpool have offered £60m for Raphinha, Barcelona have found the cash from? Hoping that De Jong goes for £80m and Dembele leaves, Arsenal offered Leeds £60m, Man City offered £50m for Phillips Chelsea about to make an offer for Phillips and Raphinha…… no….. the downside of these stories will now link us to every midfielder and winger in the world ffs.

Fact is Leeds have added a midfielder and a RB to improve the team, and looks likely we will also sign another top midfielder. If Phillips goes we will buy yet another top midfielder. Lets just wait and see how it plays out, because we know we are bringing in a striker too and hope an improvement on Bamford or competition for him

 

Looks like it'll be a dramatically different starting line up next season to what finished the last. Wholesale changes were needed. All that remains to be seen around October is how many Raphinhas we've unearthed or how many Firpos. Buying players with no PL experience has its dangers. Time will tell either way

 

Morning all

I think Phillips to Man City is pretty much a given. To me it feels like when Smith was sold to the Scum however he's not getting replaced by Julian Joachim and Michael Ricketts.

Nah Roca isn't Phillips replacement. We've been.linked with a couple of DMs since the end of the season. I reckon he was going to partner Phillips or be his understudy. I reckon we'll be in for another DM as a replacement. Tyler Adams is considering his future but we're in a race with for him with Benfica and Sevilla.

Wagner is a tricky one as he's never played in a top flight European League however we don't know how he's improved since he's been in the MLS. That league is like a Diamond Mine there's some talent over there you just need to know where to look.

 

Much of what Eire says is actually correct regarding the new players coming in. On paper we have bought a better Ayling so now have him available as a sub. A better midfielder than Dallas or Klich in Aaronson and a player who is potentially better or as good as Phillips. So forgetting current injuries and players who may leave we are now on paper in a much stronger position as we have a bunch of first team players who are now on the bench when we never had a bench last season. The thought of Roca and Phillips in tandem is like Rice and Phillips.

However we need allof ghem to click from the off, we cannot afford to see our new players out for weeks and miss half the season for 2 seasons have we had with Kock, Llorente and Rodrigo and had similar with Firpo last season. We need them to stamp their authority on the squad so we have a bench that looks like

• Ayling
• Struijk
• Gelhardt
• Dallas
• Klich
• Cooper
• Forshaw

7 first team players sat on the bench plus the likes of Greenwood, Cresswell, Hjelde, Bate who were actually our bench last season. Its an upgrade so far

 

De Jong moving to Scum would free up the transfer money for Raph but I'm not sure how much of the wage bill it frees up. I still think Raph will end up going to Chelsea and Phillips goes to Citeh. However it would.give us over a £100 million to spend on players.

 

The three early transfers all improve the team to some extent but they won't make up for losing Phillips and Raphinha so if they're going to go lets get it done quick and get out there for some replacements.

15-20 mil transfers might not get you world beaters these days but its more than the likes of Brentford can afford so IF we spend wisely, we should have the resources to not be fighting relegation every year.

It would be a shame if a Leeds lad like Phillips left, but I don't buy into this idea that he's some kind of loyal Leeds legend. I understand if he wants to leave and challenge himself at the highest level and I'll wish him the best. The other option is to be paid millions to play for and become a legend at the side you grew up supporting a la Mark Noble. I wonder if given his time again he'd rather win a few trophies as a bit part Chelsea player.

 

Do you have an agent?

 

Wagner has a good cross on him, and loves to get forward.

 

Roca looks a good player but let's not get carried away here. He is no better than Phillips but he might be much worse. Its a good addition to the squad but not as a replacement.

I think Phillips might go but for 70 million. Rapha stays until January at least.

 

Don't get your hopes up about Raph. The board will be look at that £42 million profit

 

He only wants to go to Barca. Nowhere else. They don't have that money and don't look like getting it anytime soon. He won't go to Barca this window and if he refuses anywhere else then we have him until the world Cup at least.

 

You realise they're selling De Jong to scum which will free up the funds and the wage bill. Dembele won't stay either. There's your wage bill funded. The billion pound of debt will be structured so they can pay it back in bits

 

You forget however that a huge % of any transfer fees has to be paid into reducing their debt. On top of that they will have to pay previous clubs any agreed sell on, before they can look at any profit. Yes wage bill will be reduced drastically just by losing these two

Dembele £20,000,000 pa
De Jong £16,000,000 pa

 

But now Liverpool have placed a £60 million bid for him. If we accept is he gonna to turn down the chance to play in champs League and possibly win the Premier League? If the Barca deal is dead then it's best of what left.

 

Like Doc says. Money in will have to go to the debt.

It makes far more sense at the moment to play for Leeds until the Word Cup which may trigger a more suitable club coming in for him or leave it until next summer when the fee will be much less.

 

Liverpool havent, its a made up story. Liverpool have done their wedge unless they sell Salah and Raphinha is his replacement

 

Vincent Kompany new Burnley manager