Leeds United hero Kalvin Phillips is somewhat of a forgotten man in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
In the summer of 2022, Kalvin Phillips left boyhood club Leeds United for Man City. While it was painful for Leeds fans to lose the England international, many understood his decision.
He was joining Pep Guardiola and Kevin de Bruyne that summer. It’s been a tough spell since his £45 million move to the Etihad for the most part, though.
Phillips lost confidence and the former England Player of the Year has had to go out on unsuccessful loans to both West Ham United and Ipswich Town in the last few seasons.
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Pep Guardiola to name Kalvin Phillips in Premier League squad
Guardiola called Phillips overweight publicly and that may have been a factor in why Graeme Bailey told Leeds United News that Phillips wanted to come back to Leeds this summer.
He remains under contract until 2028. Earlier in the year, we revealed that Leeds could target a loan deal for Phillips in a bid to get around the cost of an expensive transfer deal.
It’s possible that Leeds could be in the mix for the Man City midfielder in January or beyond after it was claimed that Leeds made a late check for Phillips on deadline day but he remained put, despite French giants Lyon also considering a move for Phillips.
This summer, Phillips has recovered from an achilles issue amid the links to Leeds. That has been a problem for him, but as has the fact Rodri has returned from injury alongside a number of other players arriving this summer.
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The likes of Tijani Reijnders coming in means Phillips is continuing to drop in the Man City pecking order under Guardiola. In that sense, it has been somewhat surprising to see him remain past the transfer deadline.
Kalvin Phillips set to be named in Manchester City's 25-man Premier League squad later today. The 29yo could be given chance under Pep Guardiola this campaign after his loan away from Etihad Stadium last season at Ipswich Town
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Mike McGrath of The Telegraph has reported on another surprise, with Phillips now expected to be a part of Man City’s 25-man squad for the Premier League, which clears up his future until at least January.
He reports that Mateo Kovacic’s injury until October will mean that Phillips is given a chance to resurrect his career at the Etihad Stadium. It’s quite the turnaround after it was stated that Man City were reportedly considering paying Phillips off.
That report came earlier in the summer, while Leeds United News sources have since confirmed to us more recently that it was a consideration late in the window for Man City and Phillips.
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Eddie Gray’s view of Kalvin Phillips returning
Leeds will monitor Phillips’ situation between now and January, you would expect. However, he will be a 30-year-old by that time, and having had a stop-start time of things ever since leaving West Yorkshire.
However, Eddie Gray is unsure on Phillips returning. He said: “I mean, Kalvin did well. But as soon as he went to City, he was never going to get a game.
“I’d like to know what Guardiola thought when he first saw Phillips. I’m not being critical of Kalvin, but did you ever see him shoot at Leeds?
“I think Kalvin was a good player for Marcelo [Bielsa], but to be a midfield player you’ve got to be able to do everything.”