Leeds could sign a hybrid of Phillips and Stach by landing £25m EFL star

Leeds United have often relied upon selling their biggest talents before investing in the senior ranks – as seen with academy graduate Kalvin Phillips back in the summer of 2022.

After spending eight years in the first-team at Elland Road – racking up over 230 appearances – he was sold to join Premier League giants Manchester City for a reported £45m.

Such a deal is the second-highest sale in the Whites’ history, with the decision to offload him appearing to be a masterstroke given his huge decline in quality over recent seasons.

In his prime in Yorkshire, the 30-year-old was one of the club’s most influential players, with current boss Daniel Farke no doubt wishing he could call upon him at the heart of his side.

How Farke’s midfield could line up at Leeds in 2026/27

After switching to a 3-4-2-1 system halfway through the recent campaign, Leeds boss Farke will no doubt decide to stick with such a formation ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Ethan Ampadu cemented his place at the heart of the side last season and took the armband and led the Whites away from an immediate return back to the second tier.

The Welshman was joined by Anton Stach at the base of the midfield last term, after the German arrived from Hoffenheim for a reported £18m last summer.

The aforementioned pair, at present, will no doubt be the manager’s first choice pairing ahead of the new campaign, but he does have multiple respectable back-up options.

o Tanaka was a key member of the squad during the promotion-winning campaign, but had to settle for a bit-part role in the Premier League under Farke last campaign.

However, the Japanese international did take his chances when handed the opportunity by the boss – subsequently scoring four times across all competitions.

Ilia Gruev and Sean Longstaff are two other options the manager could call upon, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to many supporters if either of the pair were offloaded this window.

Why Leeds’ £25m target would be a hybrid of Phillips & Stach

Despite the options currently at Farke’s disposal at present, it hasn’t stopped the Leeds hierarchy from targeting added reinforcements in such a department this summer.

Numerous targets have appeared on their radar over the last couple of weeks, but no deal has yet been agreed for a new midfielder – despite deals for Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemović.

However, not for the first time during this summer transfer window, the Whites have been touted as a team interested in completing a move for Southampton star Shea Charles.

Over the last couple of days, the I Paper have confirmed that talks are once again continuing with the Championship side over a deal for the Northern Ireland international.

The report also states that despite having various offers rejected for the 22-year-old, Farke’s men are confident of getting a £25m deal done and see his skillset as valuable for his new system.

Whilst he’s seen as a superb fit for the current 3-4-2-1 formation, he may still be an unknown quantity to many fans, but what can he offer the Whites upon any move?

Charles has gained a reputation for being an excellent ball-player who likes to operate in deep-lying positions, whilst making darts into the box to finish off attacks.

His tally of 85% passes completed and 1.2 chances created highlight his talent with the ball at his feet – something which Phillips gained a huge reputation for during his time at Elland Road.

The youngster has also developed an excellent set-piece delivery over recent years and achieved a 33% cross success rate last season – mirroring the former academy graduate in that regard.

His ball-winning ability is extremely similar to Phillips and Stach, as seen by his remarkable tally of 6.4 ground duels won per 90 – ranking him in the top 15% of all midfielders in Europe.

Charles’ tally of 2.1 tackles and 5.7 ball recoveries made per 90 further showcases his talent without the ball – leading to Como scout and analyst Ben Mattinson labelling him “ultra-complete.”

Such a skillset has allowed him to have more time on the ball – subsequently handing him the platform to thrive with the ball at his feet within attacking areas of the pitch.

He’s even been able to find the back of the net alongside his ball-playing ability – mirroring Stach’s recent exploits in picking out the top corner with a moment of magic.

£25m for a player of Charles’ quality could prove to be a superb deal for Leeds and one that could inject the top-level quality Farke has made a priority this summer.

Upon any move, should he reach the levels of Phillips and Stach at Elland Road, his deal will go down as another tremendous piece of business for the Whites.