Manchester United have appointed Erik ten Hag as their new manager to join the club this summer, and there is already mounting speculation about players who may join him to be part of the new era at Old Trafford.

What's the latest?

The Athletic has reported that Man United have begun "exploring" the idea of bringing Kalvin Phillips to the club this summer.

The sports publication tweeted: "MUFC have begun exploring the prospect of £50m move for Kalvin Phillips."

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Ten Hag masterclass

If the Red Devils were able to convince Phillips to leave his beloved boyhood club at Leeds United to join Ten Hag this summer in Manchester, it would be an incredible coup for the club and would be the first masterclass in the new manager's revolution.

The £38k-per-week ace who was hailed "outstanding" by Martin Keown and a "destroyer" by Steve McLaren, has been a force for the Yorkshire club in their push for promotion to the Premier League and last season when they finished 9th in their first season in the top-flight, as well as being a standout performer for England in the Euros last summer.

In midfield for Manchester United, Phillips is the exact profile of player that the team needs to integrate to improve the possession of the ball and control games better in the centre of the pitch, which has been a huge problem for the current team who, for example, lost the ball 167 times against Newcastle United earlier this season.

The 26-year-old Leeds midfielder this season had lost the ball on average just 11.8 times per game, compared to Bruno Fernandes who loses the ball 18.3 times, and Paul Pogba has lost the ball every 12.1 touches, so adding a player like Phillips could boost the ball retention in the team.

With that being said, there is a huge rivalry between Leeds and Manchester United that has existed for decades and with Phillips being a complete product of Leeds United, the golden boy at the club and in the city it would be surprising if he does make the move to Old Trafford, but from a quality perspective, he is exactly what the team needs.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano drops huge £50m transfer update that will excite Man United supporters