Kalvin Phillips Manchester United transfer would create more problems than solutions

When Manchester United had Kalvin Phillips on their wishlist in the summer of 2022, it seemed nothing more than a pipe dream.

At the time, Phillips was one of the most in-demand English midfielders in European football. He had excelled for his boyhood club Leeds United as well as on the international stage.

With the Yorkshire club on their way down to the Championship, his departure was inevitable. However, the likelihood of him joining United considering his roots was unfeasible.

Phillips said as much when leaving Elland Road as Manchester City splashed £42m on the midfielder. Fast forward a year and a half later and a switch to Old Trafford is being discussed again but, once more, the transfer is impractical - but for different reasons.

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Firstly, doing business with the blue half of Manchester raises red flags straight away. The last time a senior player directly bridged the divide was Carlos Tevez and that caused huge controversy.

While the deal for the Fletcher twins in the summer suggests a line of communication is open, poaching a player from City who is fringe level at best doesn't appear to be a wise move to win over the supporters. Speaking of Phillips' talents, it is hard to see how the 28-year-old would be the immediate answer to United's problems.

The midfielder has become 'damaged goods' at City as Pep Guardiola alluded to last week in his press conference. He has been unable to unseat Rodri in the Blues' midfield and, as such, has been forced to spend the last 18 months of his career watching from the sidelines.

Should he make the switch to the Theatre of Dreams, United would need him to hit