Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is one to keep an eye on in the final days of Liverpool’s transfer window.
The Reds have been consistently linked with a move for Phillips, as they look to finalise their midfield options for the season.
And according to journalist Ben Jacobs, there may be some truth in it. Writing in Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing yesterday, Jacobs gave an update on Liverpool’s midfield hunt.
“Liverpool do still want another midfielder, but not necessarily a No.6 unless the right opportunity presents itself. That’s partly because Stefan Bajcetic is back in the squad,” he explains.
“Keep an eye on long-standing target Ryan Gravenberch, though, who is a more versatile midfielder. Bayern’s position all summer has been that they don’t want to sell, but the player is open to Liverpool having endured a tough first season in Germany.
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“Let’s see if Bayern’s position changes in the final few days of the window.
“Liverpool have also been linked with Kalvin Phillips. I have been told all summer Phillips wants to stay at Manchester City and fight for his place. Nonetheless, this one could still be one to keep an eye on, because Liverpool did look at Phillips when he was still at Leeds.”
Liverpool keeping an eye on Phillips
Whatever your thoughts on the links with Phillips, it is clear that Liverpool do like him as a player. They were said to be very much in the running when the England international left Leeds last summer.
However, getting Phillips from Leeds and getting him from Man City are two very different things. Last year, £45m would have got Liverpool a player who could have potentially been a starter.
With Leeds resigned to losing their academy graduate, it wouldn’t have been a terribly difficult deal to do.
Now though, it looks a hundred times more tricky. Not because City aren’t against selling the player. On the contrary, it seems likely that they’d be happy to see him go. Instead, it’s because they’d probably rather see him go anywhere but Liverpool.
On the pitch, between the players, the two clubs have a good relationship. But off the field, there is a deep mistrust of each other.
City will also know that Liverpool can still be a real threat to their dominance of European football. No matter how dispensable Phillips may be to them, they won’t want to run the risk of him being a hit at Anfield.
So, perhaps a move for Phillips can’t be ruled out completely. But we’d still be surprised to see anything come of it.