As per a report, the coaches at Manchester City privately compared how Romeo Lavia would have fit into their side in contrast to Kalvin Phillips, only a few training sessions after he arrived from Leeds United.
As Lavia instantly started to impress during his time at the St Mary’s Stadium, many wondered if City had erred by letting him go and signing Phillips in the same summer of 2022.
At the time, the now-Chelsea starlet had exhibited signs that he could develop into one of the best in the world in his position.
Manchester City coaches felt Romeo Lavia was a better fit to their side than Kalvin Phillips
While others felt that as talented as Lavia was, Phillips only needed a season of adaptation to settle in at City.
According to a report by The Athletic, it took only Kalvin Phillips’ first few sessions as a Manchester City player for the coaches at the club to privately conclude that Romeo Lavia would have been a better fit for their demands from a holding midfielder.
Further details claim that Pep Guardiola demanded the £42 million (The Guardian) man to slow the game down when receiving the ball from the goalkeeper, which he struggled to do so consistently, which is a key reason why he was often benched.
At Southampton especially, Lavia showcased that he was an extremely press-resistant midfielder.
Romeo Lavia being better suited than the Englishman is not much of a surprise
Having joined Manchester City at the age of 16, Romeo Lavia had more experience of understanding their tactical demands than Kalvin Phillips.
Ultimately, the Belgian international was aided by learning such key fundamentals of the game during his breakthrough season at Southampton.
Kalvin Phillips, on the other hand, was thrown into the lion’s den from day one, having to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s system while also competing with Rodri for a starting spot, which are challenges Romeo Lavia did not have to undergo.
As a result, one cannot be surprised by the assessment the coaches at the Etihad Stadium reached when looking at the context of both players’ development.
