Manchester City braced for £25 million loss on first-team star as transfer exit looms

Officials at the Etihad Stadium are bracing themselves for one of their biggest losses on a player financially this summer, according to the latest reports.

That concerns the future of Kalvin Phillips, who is entering into his third season with the reigning Premier League champions but remains unlikely to become a part of Pep Guardiola’s plans for the forthcoming campaign.

Having failed to succeed in the role of acting as back-up to Rodrigo in the heart of Manchester City’s midfield over the last two campaigns, and struggling to re-find his form during a loan deal at West Ham in the new year, an exit is highly likely for the 28-year-old.

It remains to be seen whether Manchester City would be willing to sanction a temporary agreement for the midfielder in the coming weeks, with their priority being to find a permanent solution for the former Leeds United man.

However, the latest information appears to indicate that Etihad Stadium bosses are having to take on a significant loss on the finances invested into Kalvin Phillips in order to attract suitors for a permanent agreement.

That is according to the information of Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, who claims that Manchester City will accept offers of just £20 million for outcast defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips during the ongoing summer transfer window.

City invested an initial £42 million into Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United in the summer transfer window of 2022, with the deal potentially rising to £45 million depending on the activation of undisclosed add-ons.

Manchester City are expected to be in the market for a new defensive midfielder this summer, despite their options being few and far between and the club having made little to no progress on that pursuit.

The club are expected to move forward on a talent seen as versatile and capable of operating in both the advanced and deeper role within Pep Guardiola’s midfield, drawing their attentions to Newcastle United and Brazil’s Bruno Guimaraes in particular.

It remains to be seen whether the two clubs can come to an agreement on a transfer fee though, with Manchester City having no intention of coming close to the player’s now-expired release clause valuation of £100 million.