Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes that Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips may look to leave the club to take the next step in his career amid the club’s current struggles.

The England international is currently out injured and without him, the club have been struggling, losing all of their last three games.

What’s the latest with Leeds?

They’re losing games and sliding down the table.

Phillips has undergone surgery on a hamstring injury and is reportedly set to be out until February at the earliest.

He has missed all of their last three games: a 3-2 loss to Liverpool, a 7-0 thumping at the hands of Manchester City and a 4-1 beating at the hands of Arsenal.

It is little surprise that the defensive midfielder’s absence has coincided with some genuinely terrible results, and the club are now 16th in the table, just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Phillips, of course, emerged as a star for England at Euro 2020, playing a key role as Gareth Southgate’s side reached the final, only to lose to Italy on penalties.

In total, he has made 226 appearances for the club but O’Rourke thinks that he may look to follow in the footsteps of Jack Grealish, who left Aston Villa to join Manchester City in a huge £100m deal in the summer.

Of course, Phillips’ England team-mate made the move in a bid to play in the Champions League regularly and O’Rourke believes Phillips may look to do similar across the next few months, especially if Leeds’ form continues.

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What did O’Rourke say?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist said: “With Leeds’ current struggles this season, he’s probably thinking, ‘at this stage of my career, do I need to go and play for a top-four club, play in the Champions League’, almost make the step that Jack Grealish did in the summer when he left his boyhood club Aston Villa to go to Manchester City just to improve his game and play at the highest level.”

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Should Leeds be worried about losing him?

If this form carries on, then absolutely.

Phillips has been integral to the way the club have been playing in recent years, helping them climb out of the Championship and into the top-flight.

They enjoyed a spectacular first season back in the Premier League, finishing in the top half of the table, but it’s fair to say that they have been roundly awful in recent weeks.

That can partly be explained by injuries but the idea of Leeds playing in the Champions League any time soon seems like a distant dream.

Phillips is 26 and is approaching his peak years as a footballer; it is only natural that he may think a move to an elite club makes sense.