Manchester City have shown over recent years how impressive their recruitment is in terms of signing new players.
Having signed numerous players that have gone on to help Pep Guardiola’s side become the first team to win four consecutive Premier League trophies.
In preparation for the upcoming 2024/25 campaign, numerous figures on the books at the Manchester club are training to get to full match fitness.
Now though, a pundit has made a claim regarding one particular City player who has not had a successful time at the club compared to others.
- Man City squad numbers 2024/25: Famous shirt could be free for Pep Guardiola’s next big summer signing
Darragh MacAnthony backs Kalvin Phillips to make a comeback
Speaking on talkSPORT, Darragh MacAnthony had this to say about Kalvin Phillips, including his time at City and what the future could hold for him.
He said: “I am surprised at Kalvin Phillips. Watching him in the Leeds documentary a couple of years ago, I didn’t think he would be the type who would get that move and payday and suddenly his football would drop off.
“I don’t know if it is due to injuries or issues, but I know from watching that documentary, he is the type of character I would fancy to make a comeback.
“If he goes to the right club next, he is still young enough to basically answer what has happened in the last 18 months, which has been a disaster for him.”
Phillips needs another fresh start
After only starting two of the 16 Premier League games he appeared in for City since joining them back in 2022 from Leeds United for £45m (via Sky Sports), Phillips was loaned out to West Ham United in the previous January transfer window.
Having then only gone on to start three of the eight Premier League games he appeared in with the Hammers, the midfielder ended the campaign with the lowest overall performance rating (5.89/10) in the West Ham squad according to WhoScored.
Despite that, the fact that MacAnthony thinks the Englishman, who was taken off at the midway point of City’s recent preseason friendly defeat against Celtic, has the character to get his career back on track if he gets himself in the right environment to do so shows just how highly he thinks of the player.
Moving forward, if Phillips is unlikely to be getting regular game time at City again, another fresh start will undoubtedly be on his agenda before the summer transfer window closes.
