Reports: Kalvin Phillips set to leave Manchester City
Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is prepared to cut ties with the Premier League champions, as per reports from 90Min.
The 27-year-old completed his dream move from boyhood club Leeds United for a £42 million transfer fee, but with just 56 league minutes under his belt, Phillips will reconsider his decisions and could move on.
He received England player of the year (2021) for his performances at midfield, where he operated as a deep-lying six or as a mobile option. It’s fair to say his industry and assurance in the middle was one of the key reasons behind Leeds maintaining their top-flight status.
But the switch from Leeds to Manchester has been nothing short of disastrous for Phillips. Pep Guardiola, who has often urged him to rise to the occasion and challenge Rodri for a place in the starting XI, has sparsely used him all season. A shoulder injury has significantly contributed to his prolonged absence as well.
Reports also indicate that his position in the pecking order is the primary reason for a potential premature departure, since it could also affect his role in the England setup.
Indeed, Phillips started in a three-man midfield alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham Considering the talent Gareth Southgate has at his disposal, it goes without saying that the Leeds United academy graduate will have to fight for his spot if minutes in club football are hard to come by.
According to Football Insider (via Sportsmole), it’s understood both parties will give each other time and Phillips will stay put for the time being.
Plenty of Premier League clubs will be casting a keen eye on his situation, nevertheless, including former side Leeds, West Ham United, Wolves, Leicester, Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
In a recent conversation on the Premier League YouTube channel, Phillips lifted the lid on his time at the Etihad, stating “It’s been very difficult to be honest. I knew as soon as I came into the team that I wasn’t going to be playing week-in week-out.”
He continued, heaping praise on Pep Guardiola and the club “I was going to have to build my way in and even now I’m still at that stage of building myself into the team. I’ve enjoyed it a lot and I’ve learnt a lot as well from the players and the manager, it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made.”
Since Guardiola took charge of Man City, it’s become a pattern that new signings take off in their second season at the club. Jack Grealish is a prime example as he’s turned into a vital cog in the Manchester City front three, having already made 36 appearances across all competitions thus far. He registered 39 total in his first season.
Phillips would hope to regain his touch and contribute to a team with immaculate potential and world-class personnel. It’s now extremely likely that he will seek greener pastures come the end of the season. And while there will be no shortage of suitors, his high wages could prove to be a stumbling block.
Manchester City, meanwhile, have a key home fixture on the 1st of April against Liverpool.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: حسین ظهروند. Tasnim News Agency. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.