3 months ago
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PEP GUARDIOLA reportedly had concerns about Kalvin Phillips within the first MONTH of his Manchester City arrival.
Phillips, 28, completed a loan move to West Ham on Friday after making just four league appearances this season.
Reuters
The England midfielder struggled for action following a £42million move from Leeds just 18 months ago.
And Phillips will now be hoping to gain some serious minutes in East London ahead of the Three Lions’ Euro adventure this summer.
The Treble winner was always set for tough competition at the Etihad, battling stars like Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne for a starting spot.
But the Athletic claims City boss Guardiola and his backroom staff members began expressing concerns over Phillips less than a month after his transfer in July 2022.
The previous season’s England Player of the Year was expected to fit in seamlessly upon arrival.
Phillips, who can play as a holding midfielder or further up the pitch, was ideally seen as a replacement for Fernandinho in the No6 position.
However, it’s claimed that Phillips “struggled with the intricacies” of anchoring a Guardiola midfield.
At the same time of his arrival, City sold Romeo Lavia — now at Chelsea — to Southampton for just £10.5m.
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And staff quickly acknowledged he would have been a better fit than Phillips for Guardiola’s system despite still being in his teens.
Phillips barely got the chance to change their initial impressions though. His bad luck started when he was too ill to attend his own unveiling.
And just one month into his debut campaign, the ace was then forced to undergo a shoulder operation — keeping him out until the 2022 World Cup.
But with David Moyes a big fan at the London Stadium, Phillips will now be eager to rebuild his career with West Ham while proving Guardiola wrong at the same time.
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