Everton boss Sean Dyche has now identified Manchester City star Kalvin Phillips as his top midfield target. But Pep Guardiola has told Leeds and West Ham to forget about a transfer.
That is according to The Sun, which reports Everton, Leeds and West Ham have all sought a deadline day transfer for Phillips. Yet Manchester City have no interest in permitting a deal for the 27-year-old as Guardiola believes his summer signing has an important role to play.
Phillips has so far only managed eight appearances totalling 165 minutes since heading for the Etihad Stadium last July. The England anchor has suffered with injuries since his £45m transfer from Leeds. He has also proven unable to oust Rodri to start in Guardiola’s squad.
New Everton boss Dyche hoped Phillips’ lack of minutes at Manchester City would now see Guardiola permit a loan transfer. He believes the 25-cap international would be ideal in his engine room to spearhead a survival bid. Yet Guardiola waved away the Toffees’ approach.
Guardiola also told Leeds that Phillips will not be going back to Elland Road just six months after his departure. While West Ham also enquired into the midfielder’s availability as they also strive to avoid relegation. The Irons sit in 16th with Leeds in 15th and Everton in 19th.
Dyche faces further misery as Manchester City deny Everton a transfer for Phillips
Dyche is facing a frustrating start to his tenure as Everton’s manager after Manchester City denied the Toffees a loan transfer for Phillips. The new Toffees boss has also failed with his bid to see Conor Gallagher go to Goodison Park after viewing the Chelsea star as a priority.
Reports by Sky Sports note that Everton made Chelsea a £40m bid as Dyche saw Gallagher as an ideal target. But Sky Sports added on deadline day that the four-cap England star has now rejected the switch. He does not believe the move to Merseyside is right for him now.
So, Dyche moved on from Gallagher and targeted Phillips only for Manchester City to snub his temporary transfer to Everton. Even though Guardiola has only started the midfielder, who Jordan Henderson is a fan of, once. He started in their EFL Cup loss at Southampton.
“Kalvin’s a very good player,” Henderson said, via quotes by the Yorkshire Evening Post, in June. “You’ve seen that in the games he’s played not only for Leeds but for England. He’s done fantastically well and he’s a brilliant lad to have around.”
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