Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid set to battle it out to sign Premier League star this summer - Reports

Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the summer of 2022. The midfielder was linked with United before the January transfer window but the Red Devils didn't sign any players this window.

However, according to Daily Mail, Phillips is set to be the subject of a transfer battle between some major European clubs. Besides the aforementioned three, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are also interested in the Englishman.

Phillips came out of the Leeds United academy and is still going strong with them. He saw them get promoted to the Premier League in the 2020-21 season. He played a big part in their impressive ninth-placed finish in their first season back in the top flight.

So far, Phillips has made 226 appearances for the club in all competitions and also scored 14 goals and made 13 assists.

However, Phillips has struggled massively this season due to injuries. He has only been able to make 15 appearances in all competitions and is set to miss more matches.

The midfielder really came into the limelight due to his incredible performance at the EURO 2020 with England. He was the engine in the country's midfield that saw them reach the finals, only to lose out to Italy in the penalty shootout.

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Why Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid need Kalvin Phillips?

Manchester United's struggles in the defensive midfield position have been highly evident over the past couple of seasons. The dual pivot of Scott McTominay and Fred hasn't worked well and Nemanja Matic is in the twilight of this career.

Many were surprised that they didn't sign any players to fix the issue in the January transfer window. Signing a defensive midfielder will be on the top of the priority list for Manchester United in the summer.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, are reportedly looking for an able replacement to Casemiro. They have been linked to France's Aurlien Tchouameni as well. With their trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro getting older, Real Madrid are looking for an overhaul. Phillips could be the defensive focal point of that in midfield.

Liverpool are arguably the most stable of the three sides in the position. They have Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and occasionally James Milner in central midfield position. However, Phillips can arguably be considered an upgrade over Henderson and Milner, especially in terms of age.

Overall, it seems likely that it is going to be an intense battle for the Leeds United midfielder in the summer. It will be interesting to see who wins it amongst Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid.