Leeds United's Jesse Marsch on Kalvin Phillips: 'It's not easy to say goodbye but if you love people you want the best for them'

Phillips started the week by completing a move to the Premier League champions worth an initial £42m, potentially rising to £45m.

The 26-year-old wrote an emotional farewell to the club and its supporters when he moved, and Leeds responded in kind.

Marsch said he would have loved to have kept Phillips and would have been able to make good use of him, but suggested that doing so would have been selfish.

"Man, what a great guy!" he commented. "I enjoyed having him here so much. We talked a lot about what it would be like if he stayed and how to help him to continue to be the best player he could be.

"I think I knew when the season was over, based on some conversations he and I had, once this opportunity came it was one he had to take. None of us wanted to see him go because we value him so much as a person and a player.

"When I heard things like, 'He doesn't fit in my system,' I totally disagree with that. He's a good player, he can play in any system because he has so much quality.

"Once it got more and more serious all I wanted was the best for Kalvin and I feel it's not easy to say goodbye because he's so good but if you love people you want the best for them in their life and in their career.

"Leeds fans should be really proud of everything he's meant to the club and they should all be fans of him.

"The first text I sent to him was to say I can't wait to see him lift the Champions League trophy so that's how I feel about Kalvin, I wish nothing but the best for him."

Phillips flourished under Marcelo Bielsa largely playing as the anchorman in a 4-1-4-1 formation which looked to make use of his best qualities by allowing him to exhibit his ball-winning qualities off the ball, and give him the space to start attacks on it. Although he has said before he does not want to tie himself to one formation (Bielsa did not either), Marsch's preference appears to be for a 4-2-3-1, but that was one of the formations in which Phillips was one of the star players at last year's European Championships, playing in front of deepest midfielder Declan Rice in a more box-to-box role.

If Phillips's departure was clean and relatively quick, winger Raphinha's is becoming a more drawn-out saga with Barcelona his preferred destination but the horrendous financial situation at the Nou Camp preventing them from matching Chelsea's offer to date.

With the Brazil winger not thought to be keen on Stamford Bridge and nearly a month of Premier League football to be played before the transfer window closes on September 1, it raises the possibility he could start the season at Elland Road, and perhaps even still be there at Christmas.

Although £21m signing Luis Sinisterra looks a lot like a possible replacement, Marsch does not seem to envisage Raphinha being any problem if he stays, and the 25-year-old has returned to Thorp Arch for training.

"I said to him, I know he loves this team, this club and being here but we’ll see how things progress day by day," said the American.

Stuart Dallas broke his leg at the end of last season and Luke Ayling's campaign will be delayed by summer knee surgery but perhaps not by much. Despite not featuring in Thursday's 4-0 friendly win over Blackpool - he did play in a behind-closed-doors game against Stoke City days earlier - Patrick Bamford is progessing well.

"(Ayling) won't be ready for the first match but he's ahead of schedule so there's a possibility he can be training in August," said Marsch. "I don't want to be too optimisitic but that's where we're at.

"Patrick we're taking it a little bit easier with him. It's just making sure it's not just how's his foot doing but it's been nine or 10 months since he's been an active professional footballer."

Leeds's first Premier League game is at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 6.