Kalvin Phillips is reportedly keen to stay at Manchester City this summer and fight for his future.
The midfielder has barely featured this season for City since his move from Leeds United.
The 27-year-old has made just 17 appearances across all competitions, but for a total of just 405 minutes.
Phillips has not yet started a Premier League game, which is extremely surprising.
The star had injury problems in the first half of the season. But he’s been fit to play for a while now, but Pep Guardiola has been reluctant to rotate him in for Rodri.
Rodri has played almost 4000 minutes this season, and is used by Guardiola at almost every turn.
Phillips’ lack of game time for City has led to speculation recently that he could be on the way out this summer after just one season.
It has been suggested in recent weeks that Aston Villa, Leeds United, Newcastle United and Liverpool are all keen.
But talkSPORT are reporting today that Phillips wants to stay at the Etihad Stadium and fight for his place.
Phillips – who cost City £45 million – will be acutely aware that some players that come to City do not hit the ground running in their first season.
Jack Grealish is perhaps the best recent example of this. The star struggled in his first-term, but is now one of Guardiola’s key players.
Grealish, admittedly, played a lot more in his first season than Phillips has.
Kalvin Phillips’ stance is understandable, but Pep Guardiola may look to offload
Phillips wanting to stay is understandable.
His lack of minutes this season will be a frustration for him and he will want to prove people wrong.
He knows that Grealish had a slow start at City. As did players like Joao Cancelo and Rodri.
The evidence is there that it can work out after a slow start.
But that said, Guardiola’s usage of the player this season really has been quite something.
We know the manager loves Rodri. But Phillips has barely had a kick.
That would suggest that the Englishman hasn’t endeared himself to the manager, and one wonders if Guardiola would just be happy to let him go if the right offer came in.
