Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy doubts whether Manchester City would be willing to let Kalvin Phillips join a potential Premier League title rival during the January transfer window.
If Pep Guardiola’s side learned anything from last season – when Arsenal very nearly broke their stranglehold on the Premier League trophy – is that it’s probably not the best idea to sell any of your players, no matter how seldom-seen they might be, to a direct top-flight rival.
Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko left the Etihad for the Emirates in the summer of 2022, after all, and very nearly left their former employers with a face as red as Arsenal’s home kit.
And, amid reports suggesting that Liverpool may be tempted to come to Kalvin Phillips’ rescue, Murphy believes that – with both clubs in close quarters at the top of the table – this would almost be a deal almost akin to one army letting those on the other side of the warzone borrow one of their tanks.
From Manchester City to Liverpool?
“I don’t think it would be a bad (signing). I just find it highly unlikely that Man City would be letting him go to strengthen Liverpool’s midfield when they are competing for the title,” Murphy, an FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup winner under Gerard Houllier in 2001, tells talkSPORT (17 January, 12pm).
“If Liverpool were, you know, sixth or seventh and having a tough time, then maybe. But I don’t see it happening.”
Liverpool are currently in top spot, one place and two points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s treble-winners. Phillips has played only 89 minutes of league football in 2023/24, meanwhile. And Murphy accepts that the addition of a dedicated, defensively-minded midfielder could free up Alexis Mac Allister to do what he does best in the final third.
‘Pleading with Pep to let me go’
“Mac Allister scored double figures playing forward for Brighton last season. Liverpool fans are yet to see MacAllister play in that role,” the former England international argues, while adding that Phillips is likely to look back on his silver-laden debut season at City with a rather bittersweet feeling.
“If I was him, I would not be classing myself a ‘serial winner’. He hasn’t been involved. (Phillips) hasn’t really contributed. I would be looking in the mirror thinking, ‘I might be hard done by’.
“I’d be knocking on Pep’s door and pleading with him to let me go.”
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