Paul Merson has said that even if Kalvin Phillips performs, Rodri will come into the side and take his place anyway.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, the well-known pundit gave his two cents on the £42 million (The Athletic) man.
Now Paul Merson believes that Kalvin Phillips is stuck between a rock and a hard place due to the presence of Rodri at Manchester City.
Paul Merson says Kalvin Phillips is doomed at Manchester City because of Rodri
Branded as ‘intelligent’ by Pep Guardiola, the 27-year-old is finally getting his chance due to the Spanish international’s ongoing suspension.
As a result, the Englishman started in defensive midfield for City in their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Wednesday night.
But Paul Merson believes that even if Kalvin Phillips steps up, Rodri will swoop in and take his place in any case.
“Kalvin Phillips has a golden chance to make an impression as a Manchester City player, but the sad thing for him is that even if he plays two faultless games, Rodri automatically comes back into the team after serving his suspension.”
Kalvin Phillips was surely always aware of this reality
While Paul Merson has a point, the reality is that Kalvin Phillips surely knew that he was joining a club who had the best defensive midfielder on their books in Rodri.
Even if the former Leeds United talisman’s aim was to play alongside the former Atletico Madrid anchor, that would have been a rarity.
After all, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva were in the side last season, who are one of the select few elite midfielders in the world.
As a result, the move always seemed like a strange call from Phillips’ perspective due to the stiff competition at the Etihad Stadium.
However, now that Kalvin Phillips has his chance to shine, he must perform at his very best to stake a claim for a more regular role at the club.
