Last season, Manchester United’s midfield suffered as a result of long-term injuries and suspension issues, which manager Erik ten Hag is eager to change.
The club is willing to sell much-maligned duo Scott McTominay and Fred, while loan signing Marcel Sabitzer is returning to Bayern Munich.
Christian Eriksen was injured and struggled to match the intensity of the opposition in big games, whereas Donny van de Beek appears to be on the verge of ending his Old Trafford nightmare.
At City, Phillips has struggled.
So far, United’s market moves have been fruitless, with three bids for Chelsea’s Mason Mount rejected, while soon-to-be free agent Adrien Rabiot has reportedly agreed to a new contract with Juventus.
Fichajes has now published the summer transfer rumour, claiming that Ten Hag has authorised an approach for Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips.
During his time at Leeds, the club tried to sign him only for him to sign with their city rivals.
The Englishman made only four starts for Pep Guardiola’s side during their Treble-winning season, and City lost two of those four games.
Phillips, 27, had impressed while playing for Leeds United, but since his €49 million move to Manchester, he has been content to sit on the bench.
“Despite being one of Manchester City’s greatest signings at the time, Kalvin Phillips has yet to make the desired impact at the Etihad Stadium under Pep Guardiola’s orders.”
“Exactly that lack of regular minutes has sparked all kinds of rumours, including a possible transfer to Manchester United, who would be very interested in taking over the services of the 27-year-old British footballer, being willing to put on the table an offer of around 40 million euros, allowing Manchester City to recoup a large portion of the investment made at the time.”
“The signing of Kalvin Phillips would be requested by Dutch coach Erik Ten Hag, who is convinced of being able to bring out the best version of the English footballer at Old Trafford.”
Phillips is an unusual choice.
Despite his lack of playing time at City, England manager Gareth Southgate has been happy to keep him on the team, and the City man even made two appearances for the Three Lions in Qatar.
Phillips is primarily a defensive pivot, but he can also play No. 8 if necessary. Ten Hag is said to be confident in his ability to help the midfielder regain the form that earned him a move to Manchester in the first place.
According to Transfermarkt, the England international is worth €32 million and has a contract that runs until 2028. However, given his lack of playing time, United should not pay anywhere near that amount.
Many superior players can be acquired for less than the quoted fee, and the fact that he is a current City player as well as a former Leeds United player makes this move even more absurd.
