Leeds United have all the ingredients to thrive in the Championship, with a solid core of senior players, an exciting wave of academy prospects ready, and a reportedly incoming manager who is tried and tested at this level.To appoint Daniel Farke will be to welcome a two-time winner of this division into Elland Road, in the hope he can make it a triumphant third success in Yorkshire.It is expected that the German could achieve this by not only utilising the club's impressive transfer pull, but by blending it with one particular youth product who has more than earned his place in the first team.Having starred out on loan at Millwall, Charlie Cresswell is poised to light up this level once again with his parent club. Especially if he is partnered with Nat Phillips, who is a rumoured target of the Whites.Expected to cost just £10m, the Liverpool defender would offer a calming, experienced presence besides the energy and power that their 20-year-old titan offers.This move could help form one of the Championship's most formidable centre-back pairings in one fell swoop.

Would Nat Phillips improve Leeds United?

With both standing at a frightening 6 foot 3, immediately the physical profile of their backline would be bolstered with this move. However, the youngster has the athleticism to make up for a potential lack of speed that the 26-year-old could suffer from.Having only earned his promotion from the Reds' academy due to an injury crisis, Phillips quickly established himself as more than capable of stepping in when needed. Journalist James Pearce even noted in 2021: "Nat Phillips exceptional again tonight", indicative of numerous fine showings at the time.This would merit his move on loan to AFC Bournemouth, where he added to his promotion credibility with a fine six-month spell.Maintaining a 7.03 average rating during the 2021/22 season, the 17 games he would play in the Championship saw him record an 82% pass accuracy, 1.5 interceptions and 4.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore. The latter statistic feeds into Jurgen Klopp's suggestion that the defender is a "monster".To blend this with another man, who very nearly led the Lions to a playoff spot, could offer the perfect blend of pedigree and youth to steamroll the division.

Cresswell would instead make 28 appearances in the league just last year, with his average rating standing at 7.13. This fed into similarly impressive defensive figures, with 1.3 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.With an impressive amount of experience given their shared relative youth, and talent levels more than capable of dominating opposition attacks, Phillips' acquisition could help propel their own academy graduate to a potentially unplayable level by offering a platform for him to propel his talents to new heights.