Manchester City and Kalvin Phillips are increasingly likely to part ways in January after Pep Guardiola‘s latest glaring snub of the England international.
With the influential Rodri suspended and a vacancy opening in the midfield engine room for City’s biggest domestic game of the season so far, the natural move should have been for £42m signing Phillips to step in.
It told its own story that Rico Lewis, an 18-year-old who has more often started at full-back for City, was preferred after starring in that midfield role in the Champions League in midweek.
It leaves Phillips, who has failed to stand out on his two Premier League starts this season, staring down the barrel of a decision he opted to defer in the summer. i understands a January move is now looking increasingly likely.
i has been told that City were open to letting him leave in the summer but it was the midfielder himself who decided to stay at the club as he felt leaving would be admitting defeat too early after his transfer from Leeds United.
A quiet, determined character whose calm exterior hides a competitive steeliness, it will be hurting him that he cannot make an impact at City even when injuries have opened up a path to the first team. Barring an uncharacteristic Guardiola change of heart, the most likely outcome from here, according to sources aware of the situation in the summer, is a loan move in January when there will be “plenty of interest”.
Despite no fitness or conditioning issues this season he has played just 10 per cent of City’s total minutes across all competitions, a statistic that will be troubling for a player intent on making England’s Euro 2024 squad.
He was picked once again by Gareth Southgate for the upcoming double-header with Australia and Italy and the England boss is nothing if not loyal. However even he admitted it was “not ideal” that Phillips wasn’t playing and he is vulnerable to the form of other English midfielders playing regularly.
It is a shame for a player whose debut season was hardly helped by persistent injuries. They undoubtedly didn’t help but Guardiola’s recent admission that he “sometimes struggles in a few things” appeared to be a clear reference to his inability to adapt to the tactical demands at City.
Phillips is likely not to be short of takers. He had plenty of interest in the summer with Newcastle United making an enquiry early in the close season.
West Ham United were also interested, along with Liverpool, and there was tentative interest from Bayern Munich. i also understoods that Everton had assessed the viability of a loan move for Phillips but their financial restraints made it a non-starter.
If the proposed 777 Partners takeover plays out at Goodison Park, it is a move that could potentially be revisited.
Guardiola has issues to address during the international break. City have lacked fluency and creativity in recent weeks, with Sunday’s defeat at Arsenal being the lowest number of shots registered over 90 minutes in the entire Guardiola era. They had just four.
The Catalan cut a frustrated figure and while there is never panic at City, it is the first challenge of their bid to win a fourth successive title. When the Premier League resumes in a fortnight up, they face Brighton before a Manchester derby at Old Trafford, games which could be fascinating given recent wobbles.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/teDTNKC
Post a Comment