Plan revealed to replace Kalvin Phillips at Manchester City with player profile identified

Manchester City’s plan to replace Kalvin Phillips in Pep Guardiola’s first-team playing squad has been revealed in a new report this week.

The England international is widely expected to secure himself a move away from the Treble winners in the coming weeks, with a number of European clubs eyeing his signature as both a potential short and long-term option in their squad.

Juventus and Newcastle United are understood to be the strongest candidates for the former Leeds United man, as he hopes to rejuvenate his top-level playing career through consistent game time ahead of the upcoming European Championships.

With Gareth Southgate’s England squad booking their spot at the Euros in Germany this summer, Phillips is aware of the necessity to play more regularly in order to book a seat on the plane for the Three Lions.

For Manchester City, they themselves appear to be interested in January transfer window activity, both in relation to an exit for Kalvin Phillips, and the signing of a replacement for the Englishman in Pep Guardiola’s squad.

That is according to the information of Sky Sports News, who report that Manchester City are looking for cover in the defensive midfield position in anticipation of a Kalvin Phillips departure in the coming weeks and months ahead.

The report further details the profile of player that the Premier League champions are seeking within the upcoming transfer market, with ‘a young, homegrown option’ being the preferred candidate to join the ranks at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola has recently integrated 18-year-old Spanish midfielder Mahamdou Susoho into his UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup squads for Manchester City, with the Spaniard having made his debut for the club in Belgrade last week.

Susoho first signed for the club in 2017, after being discovered playing grass roots football in Bradford and is describe by Manchester City as being a ‘tenacious’ defensive midfielder with ‘an eye for a pass’.

Whilst continuing to develop within Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad under manager Brian Barry-Murphy for the 2023/24 campaign, Guardiola is clearly impressed by the talents he sees in the teenager, and his rise could certainly be one to watch in the coming weeks.