Phillips wants out of City, Spurs want centre half

Kalvin Phillips has told Manchester City he is ready to leave in January, with Newcastle and Juventus among those interested in signing the England midfielder on loan until the end of the season.

Pep Guardiola has made clear that Phillips is not part of his plans after allowing him four appearances in the Premier League this season, all as a substitute. The 28-year-old is understood to have accepted he must leave City to secure his place in England’s squad for Euro 2024 having failed to make a first-team breakthrough under Guardiola since his £42m move from Leeds in the summer of 2022.

Representatives for Phillips are believed to have held talks with City in recent days in an attempt to find him a new club and expect the treble winners to sanction a loan despite City’s preference to find a buyer if possible. It remains to be seen whether any agreement would include an option to make the deal permanent, although there appears to be no future for him at the Etihad under Guardiola.

Newcastle have a longstanding interest in Phillips and are keen to strengthen their midfield after Sandro Tonali was banned for 10 months in October for breaching betting rules. Eddie Howe’s side appear to be the frontrunners, although they face a challenge to structure a deal that would keep within their stretched financial fair play budget. Several other Premier League clubs are understood to have shown interest, and Juventus have been in contact with Phillips’ representatives to explore a short-term deal but it is unclear whether he would be prepared to move overseas at this stage of his career.

Another potential stumbling block could be his £130,000-a-week salary, with City likely to demand that the majority, if not all, is covered.

Gareth