Incredible twist as Real Madrid battle Liverpool, Newcastle and Aston Villa for Man City player
There has been a stunning twist in the Kalvin Phillips transfer saga, with reports in Spain claiming Real Madrid will rival the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle United and Aston Villa for the Manchester City outcast.
Phillips left his beloved Leeds United in summer 2022 to join City. He made the switch to try and take his game up a notch, while also putting himself in with a great shout of winning major silverware.
While City have won trophies such as the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup during Phillips’ time at the Etihad, the defensive midfielder has barely made an impact.
Phillips has failed to get into the City team ahead of Rodri, who is often regarded as the best holding midfielder in the world. As such, the Englishman has managed just 167 minutes of football so far this term, which works out at less than two full matches.
Plenty of Premier League clubs are monitoring Phillips’ situation as they know he is desperate to secure a move and play elsewhere. Liverpool have been tipped to surprisingly take him to Anfield, while Newcastle reportedly hold the strongest interest after losing Sandro Tonali to a 10-month betting ban. Villa and West Ham United both like the look of Phillips, too.
However, it is no longer guaranteed that the player will be remaining in England when departing City. According to Goal’s live transfer blog (30/10, at 22:45), which cites reports coming from Spain, Madrid have incredibly ‘entered the race’ for Phillips.
READ MORE: Liverpool target ‘honoured’ by Klopp approach, with ‘clear priority’ set for next move
This huge twist comes after the 27-year-old’s agent supposedly offered his services to Madrid chiefs. And the La Liga giants are now weighing up whether to try and add him to Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
While it has previously been reported that City will hold out for an £8m profit on Phillips by selling him for £50m, this fresh report suggests Madrid can reach an agreement by offering €50m (£43.5m).
Report claims Kalvin Phillips to be Real Madrid target
Ancelotti already has plenty of world-class options in midfield, including Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. Although, Kroos and Modric are both in the twilight years of their careers and will soon retire.
Due to this, it might make sense for Madrid to land Phillips so he can operate as a backup for Tchouameni in the defensive midfield role.
But Madrid have the ability to sign most players on the planet thanks to their huge finances and illustrious history, so it remains to be seen whether Phillips will actually emerge as a prime target.
Perhaps this will serve as a wake-up call for Newcastle to press ahead and begin negotiations for Phillips, in order to beat Liverpool and Madrid to his services.
Meanwhile, Liverpool and City’s chase for a classy Bayern forward has sparked panic in the German press, with one journalist even sending him an open letter.
