Kalvin Phillips linked with shock Barcelona & Atletico Madrid move

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have entered the race for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, a new report has claimed.

City paid an initial £42m to sign Phillips from Leeds United in 2022 but the 28-year-old has been restricted to under 1,000 minutes of club football in the 18 months since, including just six starts across all competitions.

Several Premier League sides have voiced an interest in taking Phillips on loan for the remainder of the season, but according to , they may have to fend off competition from La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico.

Being available on loan is of clear appeal to cash-strapped Barcelona, although state that City are holding out for a fee of £7m to let Phillips leave on a six-month deal.

Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Newcastle United are all said to be chasing Phillips, who is seeking a guarantee of regular football for the remainder of the season in the hope of earning a spot in England's squad for Euro 2024.

Just whether the La Liga sides could provide Phillips with the minutes he is searching for is unclear. Barcelona are looking for midfield reinforcements following Gavi's nasty knee injury but already have Frenkie de Jong, Ilkay Gundogan and Pedri as their starting trio, with summer signing Oriol Romeu and young Fermin Lopez operating as cover.

Atletico, who usually play a three-man midfield, are limited for numbers in that area of the pitch, boasting just four natural midfielders alongside Marcos Llorente, who plays plenty of his minutes as a right wing-back. But Phillips would likely not be guaranteed a starting role in Diego Simeone's side.

Remaining closer to home with a Premier League outfit could provide Phillips with the assurances he seeks, with a final decision on his