Kalvin Phillips, a midfielder for Leeds United, is being courted by Manchester United, according to reports.

In the summer transfer market, United are looking to add a defensive midfielder to their squad after opting not to buy one in the previous season. Phillips has impressed since Leeds got promoted to the Premier League in 2020.

Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, Phillips' England teammates, have reportedly been valued at £150 million by West Ham, while Borussia Dortmund want to keep Bellingham for another year since they are prepared to lose Erling Haaland in the summer transfer window.

Rice is maturing into a box-to-box midfielder, and Bellingham's flair for the dramatic is evident, whereas Phillips has succeeded in a deeper role for both Leeds and the England national team.

A deal for Phillips is believed to be in the works, even though the new manager Erik ten Hag has a veto on any players the club has previously shortlisted.

The preference of interim United manager Ralf Rangnick for pursuing motivated players seeking a more advanced career path is likewise shared by Phillips and his colleagues.

In addition to central midfielders Scott McTominay, Fred, and Nemanja Matic, ten Hag is expected to inherit James Garner, who has thrived on loan at Nottingham Forest and is ambitious of earning a starting spot in the squad next season.

After failing to qualify for the Champions League last season, United are aware of how limited their options will be in the summer transfer market. This would basically put a stop to any ambitious move for Rice or Bellingham. Aston Villa and West Ham have expressed an interest in Phillips, and Manchester United is sure that it will be able to hold off any competition.

Phillips has a contract with Leeds until 2024, and negotiations over a renewal have been increasingly tense. United have signed several Leeds players in high-profile deals in spite of the fact that Phillips was born and raised in the city.

At the beginning of the 1980s, the club persuaded Gordon McQueen and Joe Jordan to make the move across the Atlantic. Eric Cantona joined the club in 1992 six months after helping Leeds win the English league title. Rio Ferdinand became the club's record signing in 2002. In 1983, United signed winger Arthur Graham, who had previously played for Leeds.

During the previous two summers, Leeds and United were also in discussions regarding Daniel James, who eventually signed for Leeds on deadline day in August for a fee that may rise to £30 million.

In the 1-1 tie with Southampton on Saturday, Phillips returned to action after missing the previous three months with a hamstring injury. He played 29 times for the Hammers in the Premier League last season, making his international debut against Denmark on the eve of the season.

All seven of England's Euro 2016 matches were started by Phillips, despite the midfielder's recent injury layoff.

Rice, 23, has shown an interest in joining United in the past, although he is now contracted to West Ham until 2024. In 2016, Bellngham, now 18, paid a visit to Manchester United's Carrington training complex before deciding to join Borussia Dortmund in 2020.