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Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips fears a mooted switch to Manchester United will result in bad blood between him and Leeds Ultras.
The holding midfielder is convinced that Leeds fans won't take the move lightly and might lash back. He will therefore snub a move to the Red Devils to protect those closest to him from fan abuse.
Phillips played a starring role in England's run to the final at Euro 2020 this past summer. He slotted in seamlessly alongside more established pros like Declan Rice.
Ultimately, 25-year-old Phillips did not manage to help the Three Lions bring it home. However, he emerged with his name firmly etched out next to the best names in his position.
United have Scott McTominay, Fred and Paul Pogba as obvious choices in central midfield. But there have been loud calls for Pogba and Fred to be sold.
Whilst an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer favorite, Fred has for some time now been considered not good enough by the United faithful. Meanwhile Pogba has held the club hostage with audacious contract demands.
This leaves Scott McTominay as the only orthodox central midfielder in the Red Devils squad. Should Pogba and Fred stay put, United will still need to bring in cover for the young Scotsman.
The decision-makers at Carrington are reported to have been impressed by Phillips and will spend as much as £60m to bring him to Old Trafford.
Manchester United need to splash more money
It opens the door for the Red Devils to add to the £878m they've spent to build the current squad. United also spent £126m used to sign Varane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho over the summer. The figure has now risen to well over £1 bn spent so far in search of Premier League glory. Only Manchester City have spent more.
Manchester United fans will be worried that a whooping £441m was used during Ole Gunnar Solskajer's time at the helm.
Phillips has a lucrative opportunity to walk straight into midfield at one of the biggest clubs in the globe. Despite that, he has decided to choose family over ambition.
The lad is a cult hero for the Whites. He knows all too well the fate that befell former Elland Road heroes. These include the likes of Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinard and Alan Smith after they left the Yorkshire Club to move to Manchester. The trio were always targeted with all manner of vile abuse whenever the two bitter rivals met.
Some of Kalvin's brothers and mom, Lindsay, still reside in the city. The midfielder is concerned of the hate that might be taken out on his family. He has therefore decided to hold on until a suitable offer comes in.
The midfielder’s contract at Elland Road still has more than two years to run. Marcelo Bielsa will be desperate for Phillips to agree a new deal as soon as possible.
It is felt that should the Leeds hierarchy allow Phillips to leave, it'll open the doors for big teams. They could come in and scatter a meticulously-assembled squad.
Manchester United's bitter rivals also tracking Phillips
Phillips, Illan Meslier and Raphinha have all been attracting suggestive glances from Liverpool. Meanwhile Diego Llorente has seen his stock rise after a recent call up to the spain national team.
Liverpool's links to Phillips have recently gathered steam with the Merseyside club in need of midfield reinforcements of their own. They have now been tipped to match United's £60m bid in the summer to 'save Phillips from his Manchester United horror'.
If the Leeds native decides to choose Liverpool over Manchester United, the Reds will have killed two birds with one stone. Acquiring one of the best midfielders in Europe while rubbing it in on their sworn rivals.
