A pundit believes that the £63 million Manchester City star might be having a negative impact on his teammate Kalvin Phillips. Jamie O’Hara, speaking on talkSPORT, suggested that Rodri’s presence is affecting Phillips adversely at Manchester City.
According to O’Hara, the England international seems unsettled on the field as he realizes he won’t be able to displace the £62.8 million Spanish midfielder. O’Hara expressed a belief that Phillips deserves another opportunity, noting that Leeds signed him for a relatively low fee due to his significant talent. However, as he faces competition from Rodri and sees other players preferred over him, Phillips appears out of sorts during matches.
While football is inherently competitive, Phillips might be experiencing a challenging mental period within any club environment.
In the recent 3-1 win against Everton, Pep Guardiola once again omitted Phillips from the squad, highlighting the midfielder’s lack of recent appearances in the Premier League since November, where he played only 19 minutes off the bench against Bournemouth.
Reports suggest that Kalvin Phillips might be available for sale or loan at Manchester City. It seems the club is waiting for the January transfer window to offload him. Sky Sports reported that Txiki Begiristain, Manchester City’s director of football, aims to secure a young, domestic replacement for Phillips and even signaled the player’s potential move to Juventus.
Notably, Manchester City is willing to accept a £5 million loss on their initial £45 million investment for Phillips, as disclosed by Sky Sports. It’s anticipated that Phillips’ status might change in January, with the likelihood of him moving away from Etihad Stadium, as it would be surprising if the 28-year-old decides to stay.