Cover for Kalvin Phillips may not be as high up Victor Orta’s Leeds United shopping list as we all assume based on Marcelo Bielsa’s latest comments.
With a host of requirements in the squad met in last summer’s transfer window, it was felt one of the next big cliff faces for Orta to scale was the Phillips problem.
In short, when he’s been unavailable, United have struggled and have long needed someone competent enough to cover for him.
There has, however, been an emerging trend in recent months whereby Bielsa regularly points to the versatility of Robin Koch, Diego Llorente and Pascal Struijk as defensive midfielders.
While Struijk has been less than convincing in that role throughout 2020/21 and Llorente remains untested, Koch became the recent guinea pig there for the Whites.
What’s more, the Germany international has impressed there and Bielsa seems to think the same as he again went out of his way to mention Koch at Turf Moor.
After being asked about when he had decided Phillips and Raphinha were going to start the match, Bielsa chose to bring Koch up.
The head coach seems to acknowledge the general tone of coverage around the club’s need for a defensive midfielder this summer and writes it off.
“The games Kalvin played prior to getting injured, from West Ham [United] all the way up until to the games against Manchester United, he had a very good level,” he said.
“It was the best of him this season and quickly after he returned he was in good form.
“And also for the future of Leeds, the squad, the level Koch showed in the same position as Phillips prior to the game against Tottenham [Hotspur].
“The feeling was Phillips didn't have a replacement in the team and after the game against Tottenham, Koch showed himself to be a very valuable option and at some point in time, Ben White also replaced Phillips efficiently.
“Kalvin has shown how important he is for Leeds, but it's also good to know that we have different options of quality.”
Bielsa does not need to plant messages in the media to tell Orta what he does and does not need in the transfer market, they talk directly about that, but it’s a message to fans and to Koch, even.
Perhaps, we should not be too shocked if Bielsa does not think it would be wise to spend a valuable budget on a defensive midfielder.
The priorities will surely be a left-back, with the predicted exit of Ezgjan Alioski and emergence of Stuart Dallas in the centre, and a central midfielder, with the long-term absence of Adam Forshaw and possible departure of Pablo Hernandez.
