Kalvin Phillips’ Manchester City nightmare could come to an end in January, with Everton and Newcastle United among the interested parties.
The England international, 27, has failed to live up to the lofty expectations at Manchester City following his £42m move from Leeds United in July 2022 owing to injuries and competition for places. He has made only 26 appearances for the Sky Blues, only four of which have been starts. The defensive midfielder has been picked for England’s upcoming double-header against Australia and Italy regardless of his lack of game time at club level, which shows the faith Gareth Southgate still has in him.
In contrast, it is clear Man City boss Pep Guardiola does not fancy Kalvin Phillips and is reportedly open to making him available for loan in the January transfer window. The Spaniard’s latest snub of the midfielder further proves that, with Rico Lewis starting ahead of Phillips in City’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in the absence of suspended Rodri.
Thus, a move away for the 27-year-old in the mid-season trading period might just be the best thing for all parties involved.
Everton set to revive interest in Kalvin Phillips?
Kalvin Phillips is likely not to be short of takers if City allows him to depart on loan. He had plenty of interest in the summer, with Everton evaluating the viability of a temporary deal for the midfielder but financial restrictions made it impossible. If their proposed 777 Partners takeover is completed in time, Everton could revive their interest in Phillips.
In addition, Newcastle United made an enquiry for the 27-year-old early in the close season, while Liverpool and West Ham were also interested. Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich had also shown tentative interest but Phillips decided to stay at City and fight for his position. However, with the UEFA Euro 2024 set to take place next summer, Phillips’ stance seems to have changed.
Everton remain among the interested parties, and with Idrissa Gueye and Abdoulaye Doucoure set to leave the club for the Africa Cup of Nations in mid-January, signing Phillips would make complete sense. He would be a quality addition to their midfield unit that will be weakened during the second half of the campaign, offering a layer of protection to the Toffees’ backline. The England international would enhance Everton’s first XI, whilst being an upgrade on the inconsistent Gueye.
Phillips just hasn’t had opportunities at City to really show his qualities. At Everton under Sean Dyche, though, the Englishman would get opportunities and time to express himself on the pitch and regain his lost confidence ahead of UEFA Euro 2024.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
