According to journalist Ben Jacobs (via Give Me Sport), former Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips is determined to stay put at the Etihad and fight for his place under Pep Guardiola despite links to Liverpool.
The Reds have already snapped up three midfielders this summer after bringing in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wataru Endo, but they are still in the market to bolster their engine room further, having lost Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Pro League extravaganza and missing out on top targets Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea.
To that end, the focus has come down to three options: Ryan Gravenberch, Kouadio Kone, and Cheick Doucoure. However, of late, the Reds have also been linked with a surprise swoop for long-time target Kalvin Phillips.
The 27-year-old may have won three winners’ medals last season, but it’s safe to say that his career since leaving Elland Road for the Etihad last summer hasn’t gone according to plan.
It cost City £42 million to secure his services from the Yorkshire outfit, though he failed to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s plans last term. The imperious Rodri remained untouchable in the primary holding midfield role.
Guardiola publicly expressed his concerns about the player’s fitness. Furthermore, when the Catalan boss changed tactics and introduced his new 3-2-4-1 system, it was usually John Stones or Rico Lewis who partnered Rodri in the engine room, not a natural No. 6 option in Phillips.
The former Leeds man made just four starts in all competitions. In total, he registered 21 appearances, with the remaining 17 coming as a substitute, leading to intense rumours about his imminent future at the club beyond this summer.
No longer at the forefront of Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for the upcoming European Championships next year, the midfielder looks unlikely to change the narrative unless he features regularly at club level this season—something that looks like an uphill task if he remains at City. Therefore, a move to Anfield would have made plenty of sense.
However, the England playmaker is not open to such a move and wants to stay at Manchester City at least for another season to come back stronger. He can certainly take solace from how even the best of the best have needed a year to adapt to Guardiola’s extraordinary methods and tactics.
There are further doubts about whether City would be open to doing business with Liverpool, given the fierce rivalry between the two over the past few years.
