According to the Daily Mail, Kalvin Phillips is set to have a medical with Manchester City after rejecting Aston Villa and Newcastle.
What’s the story?
Well, the England international is now ready to be assessed by the Citizens, after a £45m fee was agreed with Leeds.
Steven Gerrard and Eddie Howe were both interested in signing the 26-year-old, although Phillips was only prepared to leave Elland Road for a significant step up.
The Yorkshireman has spent his entire career with the Whites so far, racking up 233 appearances for Leeds, so he had no interest in making a sideways step.
Interestingly, West Ham actually submitted a £55m bid for Phillips in January, according to the Daily Mail.
It was also said that Jürgen Klopp was keen to bring the midfielder to Liverpool, before Manchester City agreed a fee with Leeds.
Now, it is Pep Guardiola who seems to have won the race for the Leeds-born playmaker, who has been nicknamed the Yorkshire Pirlo as a result of his excellent passing ability.
In his final season for Leeds, Phillips helped his boyhood side narrowly avoid a quick return to the Championship, making 23 appearances in all competitions.
Aston Villa & Newcastle must be realistic
In our view, Phillips was always going to be a tough target for Aston Villa and Newcastle to land.
As aforesaid, he loves Leeds, and similarly to Jack Grealish departing Villa Park for the Etihad Stadium, it seems only the strong lure of trophies and Champions League football was enough to prise him away from Yorkshire.
In that respect, the Villans and the Magpies ultimately had no chance of signing Phillips, unless they were to find themselves in a silverware-winning position overnight.
Hopefully, Phillips doesn’t find himself stuck behind Rodri too much next season, as a player of his talent deserves to be starting regularly.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
