Kalvin Phillips braced for extended Manchester City stay as clubs press pause on official approaches

Manchester City could see Kalvin Phillips extend his stay at the club beyond the ongoing January transfer window amid concerns over demands from the Etihad.

The former Leeds United midfielder is looking to rejuvenate his career in the second-half of the season and subsequently improve his chances of joining Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming European Championships in Germany.

Phillips – who has largely been snubbed for roles to fill-in for Rodri during times of absence – has rarely been utilised by Pep Guardiola, and any appearances have come from the substitutes bench or in dead-rubber contests.

With the January transfer window now upon us, Manchester City have been presented with a timely opportunity to grant Kalvin Phillips his wish of a move away, but only on their terms and in the event of a reasonable offer from a potential suitor.

That however appears to be causing issues for Phillips and talks with clubs interested in his talents, with a new report detailing not only the hardships in negotiations, but also the improved chances of seeing the player remain at the club into the second-half of the campaign.

According to the information of ESPN’s Rob Dawson, Manchester City are asking for a loan fee of around £7 million for Kalvin Phillips, plus an obligation to make any move permanent in the upcoming summer market.

With regards to recently mooted suitors, it is detailed that talks with Italian giants Juventus have ‘stalled over the demands’ placed on the player by Manchester City, while Premier League rivals Newcastle have also ‘put off making an official approach’.

Despite some clubs withdrawing some level of interest in the player, it is reported that City believe their valuation is ‘fair’ due to the 28-year-old being is an established England international.

Manchester City however are said to be ‘relaxed’ about the situation and are happy to keep Phillips as part of the squad until the summer. The player is said to have continued to work hard in training and is a popular member of the first-team group, despite ongoing speculation and his desire to leave the club in search of further game time.

In the ongoing 2023/24 season, Kalvin Phillips has amassed just 10 appearances across all competitions for the club, scoring one goal in the process as he struck a penalty into the back of the net on matchday six of the UEFA Champions League group stage against Crvena zvezda.

However, those 10 appearances have only seen a total of 318 minutes on the field. In fact, across his two seasons at the Etihad Stadium, Phillips has only seen competitive action on the field for Pep Guardiola 31 times.

Rico Lewis, John Stones, and Manuel Akanji have all operated either alongside Rodrigo or in the absence of the Spanish international this season, showcasing just how low down Kalvin Phillips is in Pep Guardiola’s defensive midfield pecking order.