Kalvin Phillips ‘was never considered good enough for Man City’ with Pep Guardiola ‘realising they’d made a £45m mistake right away’… as England midfielder seeks game time during West Ham loan
- Phillips, 28, has passed his medical and is set to join West Ham on loan
- The England international struggled to win over Pep Guardiola to play for Man City
- CHRIS SUTTON: Why don’t clubs sign players? This transfer window must be revived! It all starts
Kalvin Phillips ‘was never considered good enough to play for Manchester City’, with Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff ‘concerned’ immediately after his £45million move from Leeds.
The England midfielder, 28, underwent a medical on Thursday ahead of a move to West Ham. He hopes his career will be revived after limited opportunities at the Etihad.
Phillips played just 593 minutes of football in this debut season with City, starting just four games as he watched their Treble triumph, mainly from the substitutes’ bench.
Things have not improved this season, with Phillips not starting a single Premier League match.
The Athletics have reported that as soon as Phillips contacted City for pre-season training in 2022, Guardiola and his staff were concerned he was not up to the task of being their midfielder.
Kalvin Phillips is on the verge of escaping his woes at Manchester City as he joins West Ham on loan
Pep Guardiola reportedly quickly realized that Phillips would not fit in his midfield
Phillips had been a key player for Leeds and was an established England international, but he apparently did not understand the complex nature of what Guardiola wanted from him.
The report says Phillips was essentially not considered good enough to play for a high-performing City side that went on to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League last season.
It was quickly recognized that Romeo Lavia, the Belgian midfielder who was sold to Southampton for £10.5 million around the same time as Philips’ arrival and is now at Chelsea, was a better fit.
Guardiola has expressed regret at the derailment of Phillips’ career, saying earlier this month: ‘I feel so sorry for my decision for him. I’ve said that many times.
“He doesn’t deserve what happened to him and I’m so sorry.”
The City boss added: ‘I visualize the team and I struggle to see him.’
Phillips suffered an early setback when a recurring shoulder injury required surgery and sidelined him until the World Cup in Qatar.
But he returned to City overweight and was publicly criticized by Guardiola, with the City boss noting such things.
Phillips has struggled to get into Pep Guardiola’s team since joining from Leeds for £42 million
Phillips will part ways with Etihad this month and West Ham could buy him straight away
West Ham boss David Moyes believes he can get the best out of Phillips at the London Stadium
However, Phillips was regarded as a professional, with Guardiola also describing him as the ‘perfect example’ of ‘good personality and character’.
With an eye on featuring for England at the 2024 European Championship, Phillips will be hoping for regular game time under David Moyes after the Hammers beat Crystal Palace and Newcastle, plus a host of European clubs, on loan.
There will be an option for Phillips to move to the London Stadium permanently, ending a City contract that runs until 2028.