Everton, Ipswich Town, and Fulham have all shown interest in Kalvin Phillips. Pep Guardiola has noted that Phillips has regained his confidence amid Everton’s transfer interest.
Phillips has faced a challenging two years since his £43 million move from Leeds United to Manchester City. He has struggled to secure a regular spot at the Etihad Stadium and had a difficult loan spell at West Ham United during the second half of last season, which led to him losing his place in England’s squad for Euro 2024.
At 28, Phillips is not expected to play a significant role in City’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive Premier League title. Although he featured as a center-back in pre-season friendlies against Barcelona and Chelsea, he was an unused substitute in City’s Community Shield win over Manchester United last weekend. Guardiola, however, praised Phillips’ recent performances, saying, “He is a central midfielder, but I’ve said many times Kalvin likes to see the whole game in front of him. When he’s surrounded by players in the middle, he struggles a bit, but he helped us a lot in the last couple of games on tour. His confidence is back.”
Everton is reportedly interested in signing Phillips on a season-long loan to fill the gap in midfield left by Amadou Onana’s £50 million transfer to Aston Villa. Manager Sean Dyche, a long-time admirer of Phillips, previously tried to sign him during his time at Burnley. Dyche is looking to bring more Premier League experience to Everton’s squad, though he has acknowledged that the club’s finances are tight after securing Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye, and Jake O’Brien on permanent deals, along with Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom on loan. Premier League rivals Fulham and Ipswich Town have also been linked with Phillips.
