Mikel Arteta could prioritise Arsenal January transfer plan after receiving Kalvin Phillips plea
Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips has hinted that he could leave the club in January amid links with Arsenal. The 27-year-old joined City in 2021 from Leeds United for £42million but has failed to become a regular under Pep Guardiola.
Since moving to the Premier League champions, Phillips has managed only 26 appearances. Despite playing his part in City's famous treble-winning season, speculation has arisen once again linking the midfielder with a move away from the Etihad Stadium.
This season, Guardiola has used Phillips five times — starting only the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle in September. Phillips' struggles at City have resulted in his call-up to the England squad being scrutinised, even more so with West Ham's James Ward-Prowse arguably doing enough to be selected.
However, as he has done with Harry Maguire, Gareth Southgate has continued to trust Phillips after his reliable displays in the 2021 European Championships and Qatar World Cup. On Tuesday, Phillips started in the Three Lions' 3-1 win over Italy to secure their spot in next summer's European Championship in Germany,
Phillips, who partnered Arsenal star Declan Rice in midfield, struggled to get to grips with the action at Wembley and was booked in the first half as a result of three fouls. After the win, Phillips spoke to Channel 4 and dropped a hint about the possibility of him leaving City in the January transfer window.
«As a football player, you want to be playing, and that is the same with me — I want to be playing as much as possible,» he said. «I haven't done that over the last year-and-a-half and it's something I want to do.
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