Manchester United could reportedly be given the chance to sign Kalvin Phillips from rivals Manchester City in a surprise deal.
The England international is not currently getting any playing time for Man City, with Pep Guardiola publicly apologising to the player for failing to find a place for him.
Fabrizio Romano has spoken exclusively to CaughtOffside about Phillips’ situation, saying he fully expects the 28-year-old to move on this January, though he has not yet named specific suitors who could be likely to try to win the race for his signature.
However, according to the Sun, it seems City’s rivals United are keeping an eye on Phillips as a target for the summer, with Erik ten Hag a big fan of the former Leeds United man.
The report states that Phillips will likely go out on loan first this January, which would then mean United try to sign him once he returns to the Etihad Stadium in the summer.
It’s not often we see players move between these two rival clubs, but it has happened from time to time, with notable recent examples being Carlos Tevez and Owen Hargreaves.
A source spoke to the Sun about the prospect of this deal, and made it clear that Phillips is regarded as “one of the best English players in the Premier League”, as well as a good tactical fit for the way Ten Hag likes to play.
Guardiola’s public comments also suggest that he won’t stand in Phillips’ way, with the source in the piece also quoted as saying something similar, so it seems this controversial deal is there for MUFC if they really want to go for it.