Kalvin Phillips attracting attention from Premier League rivals amid Man City uncertainty

Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips has been linked with a summer move away from the Club just seven months after a £42 million transfer to Pep Guardiola’s side.

Having shone in the Premier League on a regular basis for Leeds United, Kalvin Phillips’ time in Manchester has largely not gone exactly how he would have liked it.

The midfielder, who was brought in to be an understudy to Manchester City’s defensive midfield mainstay Rodri, has only made nine appearances – totalling 168 minutes – across all competitions so far this season.

Phillips returned from World Cup duty with England in Qatar “overweight,” according to his manager, leading to him missing out on potential minutes in cup competitions, despite seemingly being ready to play having only made two substitute appearances for The Three Lions.

Now, according to a new report from Alan Nixon of the Sun, West Ham are keeping an eye on developments around the England international, who has struggled for game time since joining The Sky Blues.

Kalvin Phillips, who plays as a more defensive-minded midfielder, is viewed as an ideal replacement for Declan Rice – who himself has been linked with a move to a top six side in recent years.

West Ham’s interest in the 27-year-old City midfielder is far from a new development. The London side tried to sign him whilst he was still at Leeds in the January transfer window of 2022, with a reported £50 million bid rejected by Elland Road officials.

Having made his first start for Manchester City in the recent 2-0 defeat against Southampton in the EFL Cup, Kalvin Phillips was at the brunt of criticism for his poor performance.

His manager leapt to his defence after the game though, deflecting responsibility from the midfielder and stating that Phillips needs time due to missing out on training and matches as a result of a shoulder injury that kept him from participating in 11 matches.

Since then, though, Kalvin Phillips has only appeared in a further 11 minutes of action for the Citizens and it is unlikely he will see a dramatic increase in game-time in the near future, as the business end of the season draws nearer.