£20m Leeds transfer target pushing for Elland Road move in boost for Farke

A Leeds United target is now reportedly pushing for a move to Elland Road in what will be a huge boost for head coach Daniel awake as he eyes a return to the Premier League.

Leeds are vying for promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League at the second time of asking this season.

Farke’s squad narrowly missed out on promotion in the 2023/24 season, falling 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final after securing third place in the Championship.

This season, the Whites are instead on course for automatic promotion, currently sitting top the table on goal difference with just eight games to play ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley.

Off the pitch, the club appears to be already preparing for next season – whether that’s in the Premier League or the Championship – with a number of transfer targets reportedly already on their radar.

Among those are Southampton striker Cameron Archerwho was a target for Farke in January, while, according to reports from Africa Foot, the Yorkshire club are also keen on signing Almeria forward Ibrahima Kone in the summer.

Likened to Romelu Lukaku for his physical prowess, Kone is currently on loan at Al Okhdood in Saudi Arabia. However, it’s unlikely he will remain with the club beyond the current season, with Almeria reportedly ready to offload him elsewhere for around €10 million (£8.4 million) in the summer.

Phillips pushing for Leeds return

Another man supposedly on Leeds wishlist is former midfielder Kalv’s Phillips.

A recent report from TEAMtalk revealed that Leeds already have a verbal agreement with Phillips, who is currently on loan at Ipswich Town from Manchester City, to return to Elland Road if Farke’s side secures promotion.

City are aware of Leeds’ interest and are unlikely to block the move, provided the 49ers table an offer of around £20 million.

It was previously unclear whether Phillips would be open to returning to Leeds, but now, there’s been some good news for Farke and the club’s fans, courtesy of Football Insider: He is.

According to the publication, it is believed that Phillips is eager to return to Leeds and is pushing for a move, where he hopes the support of the fans and backing of the club will help him revive his stalling career.

Phillips also hopes that the move could help him work his way back into the England fold, having now not featured for the Three Lions since 2023.

Phillips has previously been described as “exceptional” by City boss Pep Guardiola. Just months after he moved to the Etihad Stadium, the Spanish head coach said of the English midfielder, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano: “Kalvin, exceptional in many things. Why he doesn’t play? Rodri, key for us.”

“Never, ever makes one action against mates that play, or a bad face, training bad. I’d love to give him as much minutes as possible.”