Kalvin Phillips is open to joining Liverpool amid interest from Jurgen Klopp as he looks to escape his Manchester City hell.
According to the Daily Star, Liverpool are interested in Kalvin Phillips ahead of the summer. The 27-year-old England international has lost a bit of form since joining Manchester City, where he may not have a future beyond this season.
Manchester City signed Kalvin Phillips in a deal near the £50 million mark, which seemed like a strong addition last summer. Pep Guardiola wanted to bring in a player to compete with Rodri in central midfield. Things have not gone to plan for the 27-year-old England international.
Phillips has seen his presence marginalised in this Manchester City squad and fails to find regular game time, even from the substitutes bench. The midfielder was also publicly criticised by Guardiola after returning from the World Cup break, lacking the required fitness.
His sporadic performances have seen Phillips lose his regular midfield place in the England setup, as he has become a firm option on the bench. He could look to revive his career, possibly away from Manchester City in the summer, as a move could transpire for the 27-year-old.
Aston Villa are also interested in Phillips, and so are West Ham United. The latter would like to sign a potential replacement for Declan Rice, who could depart the club, with Arsenal increasingly looking like the front runners.
Meanwhile, Unai Emery also wants Phillips to bolster his midfield, as Villa could embark on a European journey next season. As for his Manchester City career, it was over when he could not get on the same side as Guardiola. Meanwhile, Liverpool are the latest club to express an interest in the 27-year-old, with the player reportedly keen.
Phillips remains serious to revive his career after a dull season on a personal note. The midfielder will reportedly join Liverpool ahead of West Ham or Aston Villa. Jurgen Klopp was a fan even before the former Leeds United star joined rivals Manchester City.
Klopp wants to revamp his midfield options, with several players expected to arrive in the close season. They were keen on bringing Jude Bellingham, and despite the player’s desire to join the Reds, things could get complicated in that pursuit.
Phillips could reportedly become available for £35 million in the summer. That is a considerable drop in value from last year. Klopp wants to bring multiple players into the midfield positions rather than spending a large chunk of his transfer budget on a single player like Bellingham.
While Phillips remains keen to join Liverpool, much will depend on Manchester City’s stance over selling to their rivals. After the success of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, Guardiola’s side have reportedly taken a stance to not sell any more players to Arsenal. Whether they deploy a similar rule for the Reds remains the question.
