Liverpool are reportedly keen on luring in-demand Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips to Anfield, but the defending Premier League champions are reluctant to sell to a direct rival.
According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth (via GIVEMESPORT), Manchester City will not sanction a move for Phillips to Liverpool due to them viewing the Reds as a direct rival, and they want to avoid a repeat of the Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus transfers that turned Arsenal into a genuine title contender.
Sheth told GMS: “Maybe it’s best for everyone, especially Kalvin Phillips, if a move can happen. But he would probably want to go to one of the big six clubs, and I just wonder whether Manchester City would want to do business with what is perceived to be a rival.
“We saw in the summer before last that they were more than happy to allow Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to go to Arsenal, but they ended up being the main rivals to Manchester City for the title.
“We’ve been hearing noises about teams like Liverpool and other clubs being interested in Kalvin Phillips. I wonder whether they would really facilitate a move to a rival. I think, at this moment in time, Kalvin Phillips will probably just want to play football.”
Phillips has failed to cement his place as a regular under Pep Guardiola since making the move to the Etihad in a deal worth £45 million. Since joining Manchester City, Phillips has only played in 16 league games. He featured in just 12 top-flight matches last season and has just four Premier League outings to his name this term, with his last appearance coming in early November.
Pep Guardiola has made it clear that Phillips is not part of his plans, while the 28-year-old is understood to have accepted that he must leave City to secure his place in England’s squad for Euro 2024. He has been linked with Newcastle and Tottenham, while Liverpool are another club who have been consistently linked with Phillips over recent months.
However, it’s highly unlikely City would give the green light to Phillips’ departure to a Premier League title-rival midway through the season, which comes as a big blow to Liverpool, who will probably have to realign their radars on alternative candidates given the low chances of a Phillips’ deal.
On the other hand, a move to St. James’ Park could be real possibility for the former Leeds United playmaker, who is seemingly keen to remain in England. The injury-stricken Magpies’ are keen to sign Phillips to replace the banned Sandro Tonali, but do not have the wriggle room to do a permanent deal due to Financial Fair Play stranglehold and can only make a loan proposal.
