Report: Manchester City close to signing Leeds' Phillips for up to £45M

Manchester City have reached an agreement with Leeds United over Kalvin Phillips' transfer, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

The midfielder is set to cost City £42 million with a further £3 million in potential bonuses. The deal could be completed next week.

City manager Pep Guardiola was apparently blindsided when Fernandinho announced in April he planned to leave the club at the end of the 2021-22 campaign. The 37-year-old's departure put the Premier League champions on the lookout for a new No. 6 to compete with Rodri, and Phillips - a 23-time international and England's Player of the Year in 2021 - quickly emerged as one of City's top summer targets.

Phillips is a popular figure at Elland Road after he progressed through Leeds' academy and improved greatly under former head coach Marcelo Bielsa. However, the West Yorkshire club gradually started to accept it would lose the 26-year-old this offseason and recruited in central midfield last week with the arrival of Marc Roca from Bayern Munich.

Roca isn't necessarily a ready-made replacement for Phillips, though. Leeds boss Jesse Marsch is apparently interested in signing RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams, who played under the American tactician for the New York Red Bulls, to fill Phillips' position.

Additionally, City's 18-year-old midfielder Darko Gyabi may reportedly move to Leeds in a separate deal worth £5 million.