Kalvin Phillips is set to join Manchester City.
At least that’s what is being reported by The Athletic right now. According to the ever-reliable outlet, Manchester City and Leeds have reached an agreement over the transfer of the Yorkshire Pirlo, and inevitably, this news has sparked a mixed reaction.
Some onlookers believe this is a bad move for Phillips. After all, the England international will likely be a second-string option behind Rodri at the Etihad, and that can’t be good for his development.
However, Gary Lineker sees things rather differently and he believes that this is a great chance for Phillips to progress while working under Pep Guardiola.
Lineker says that working under Pep will help Phillips’ development, and it’s hard to disagree with that point of view.
Almost every single player who has worked under Guardiola in their career has improved, and there is precedent for a Bielsa-moulded defensive midfielder being a success under the Spaniard.
Indeed, Javi Martinez established himself as a star at Bayern Munich after working under Bielsa at Athletic Bilbao, and now, Phillips may well be on the same career path.
Of course, that’s all dependent on how many minutes he plays and if he can stay fit, but given his talent, Phillips shouldn’t find it too hard to force his way into Guardiola’s plans.
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