Kalvin Phillips braced for fresh start in London amid continued Manchester City struggles

Manchester City defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips could be offered the chance of a fresh start in London in the coming January transfer window, according to reports.

The former Leeds United man is expected to weigh up his options across the course of the coming weeks alongside his representatives, as he looks for improved minutes in top-level football ahead of the upcoming European Championships.

Gareth Southgate’s England secured their place at next summer’s competition in Germany, and while Kalvin Phillips has been a consistent feature in the Three Lions set-up, he realised that additional minutes at club level will be required to book his place on the plane in 2024.

A number of clubs from across the European game are aware of the situation that Kalvin Phillips finds himself in under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, and a new report has now linked him with fresh interest from London.

That is according to the information of talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, who states that Premier League side Fulham are ready to offer Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips a ‘fresh start’ in west London as the England international goes in search of improved game time.

The Cottagers – managed by Marco Silva – have reportedly earmarked Kalvin Phillips as a potential replacement for Joao Palhinha, who is set to attract fresh interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in January following their failed pursuit last summer.

Fulham are understandably not alone in their interest in Phillips, and talkSPORT report that the Manchester City man is also on the list of targets at Newcastle United as they look to fill the void left by the Sandro Tonali following his 10-month suspension.

Bayern Munich themselves are understood to have held some level of conversation within the Allianz Arena about the possibility of making a move for Kalvin Phillips, however it remains to be seen whether they firm up that interest.

For Phillips, his game time at Manchester City may continue to be limited in the run up to the January transfer window, with the hope being that early qualification for the Champions League knock-out stages could present opportunities in the starting line-up.

Rodri continues to be Pep Guardiola’s go-to option in defensive midfield, while Rico Lewis has staked his claim for a consistent place in the squad following impressive performances on the road in the Champions League against RB Leipzig and BSC Young Boys.

Lewis was named UEFA Player of the Match in the 1-3 win against the Bern-based club on Wednesday night, as goals from Manuel Akanji and Erling Haaland ensured that Manchester City made it nine points from a possible nine in their opening three matches.