Leeds United’s defensive duo Ben White and Kalvin Phillips have enjoyed a great start to the season and are unsurprisingly attracting interest from higher up the footballing ladder.

The collective team performances from the Whites have been something to marvel since Bielsa’s arrival but the individual efforts of centre-back Ben White and holding-midfielder Kalvin Phillips have been particularly impressive.

Their great performances so far have led to reported interest from Manchester United as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his squad, according to Football Insider.

White signed for Leeds on a season-long loan from Brighton in the summer, while Phillips is an academy graduate who has recently signed a new five-year contract with the club, as the Whites look to fend off interest for him.

We discuss this in an FLW six-point opinion…

Firstly, why would Manchester United be keen on the pair?

“White and Phillips have demonstrated great talent so far this season as defensive players, but also showing great abilities on the ball that would be well-suited to a team in the top six.

“Solskjaer has had a dilemma with who to select for those positions of late, with a lot of changes being made since the start of the season and injuries, investing in young talent could be a long-term solution to this.”

How have White and Phillips got on this season?

“The pair have been instrumental so far in Leeds’ quest for automatic promotion, in a defence that boasts the least goals conceded in the Championship and are one of only three teams in the top four divisions to have a single-figure tally of goals conceded (nine).

“As well as being a formidable pairing in stopping goals, the duo have shown their prowess on the ball, in their confidence to beat a player out of the back and making successful forward passes to start attacks.

“Both players have started every league game so far under Marcelo Bielsa and that will remain to be the case if neither are injured or suspended.”

Do they have what it takes to step up to the Premier League now?

“They both can definitely play in the Premier League right now and it is no surprise that other teams are sniffing around for the two, Phillips has been subject to strong interest from the Premier League in the summer, where the club revealed they had rejected ‘multiple offers in excess of £20m’.

“Ben White has also been subject to Premier League interest, with Liverpool reportedly keen on his signature, so it is there for everyone to see that the pair have very high-profile admirers that know they can make the step up.”

Would they get games at Man United?

“I think they would both get good opportunities in the heart of their defensive unit as it currently stands because of the inconsistency shown by the players who are there at the moment.

“Along with this, the hectic schedule of the league, the cups, and European competition, there is ample opportunity for the pair to get enough game time to prove they are starting 11 material for Solskjaer.

“One player whose proven this conclusively is Daniel James who signed for the Red Devils in the summer, who was on the verge of joining the Whites last January before a deal collapsed. Since then, he has become a star at Old Trafford starting in most games now and amongst the goals regularly.”

What would Leeds’ stance be on the sale of Phillips?

“As he’s a Leeds United player, it would take a lot of money for Man United to tempt Leeds to sell him, especially with promotion on the line this season. I doubt that Leeds would sanction the sale of arguably the most important player to Marcelo Bielsa’s system, even more so to a bitter rival.

“Leeds tied Phillips down to a five-year contract for this exact reason and to ensure that if he does want to leave, it would need an enormous bid to sway the club. 

“However, if Leeds were to fail again to achieve promotion back to the Premier League, there is virtually no chance that they could hold on to the player, meaning Man United could have a better chance if they waited until the summer to see his situation develop.”

Finally, is it looking more unlikely that Leeds can hold onto Ben White?

“It will be a tremendous coup if Leeds can hold onto White beyond this season, but with so much interest from elsewhere on top of Brighton being surely more than happy to keep him, it does seem very unlikely that he will stay in at Elland Road.

“Brighton would be naive to recall White who is having a great season of development, but they have a very valuable asset on their hands come the summer.”