Manchester City are “readying” a bid to sign Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips after opting against a move for West Ham’s Declan Rice, according to 90min.com‘s Graeme Bailey.
The Premier League champions were set to join the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in pursuing Rice but they have refused to be “drawn into a bidding war” for a player who has a price tag set at £150m. Bailey claims Phillips has been earmarked as an alternative by manager Pep Guardiola, with the Spaniard believing he can be a good replacement for Fernandinho:
Manchester City readying Kalvin Phillips bid.
Pep Guardiola is a fan of the Leeds midfielder who could be the man to replace Fernandinho.
✍️ @90min_Football https://t.co/84OTgpU4kB
— Graeme Bailey (@GraemeBailey) June 3, 2022
While a deal to sign Phillips is thought to be a lot more likely than if City went after Rice instead, a transfer has been complicated by the fact that Leeds avoided relegation. It means that the Yorkshire club are expected to hold out for a larger fee.
Even so, it is believed that the 26-year-old will still not cost anywhere near as much as his England international teammate.
