Liverpool’s midfield overhaul has taken an unconventional and testing route.
The unexpected departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to life-changing contracts in Saudi Arabia have forced the Merseyside outfit into a more extensive rebuild than was originally planned.
Another twist has been the well-documented failure to land either Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia, who both opted to join Chelsea.
Since then, the Reds secured the signing of Waturo Endo for £16.2m but remain active in the transfer market in search of more midfield reinforcements…
What’s the latest Liverpool transfer news?
According to talkSPORT, Kalvin Phillips is on Liverpool’s radar this summer.
Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…
This outlet’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook said:
“Kalvin Phillips is a player Liverpool looked at before he went from Leeds to Man City, and we know it’s been a tough window for Liverpool in terms of target they’ve missed out on.
“I think at the start of the season Phillips wanted to stay and fight for his place at Man City, but he was on the bench with a load of kids at the weekend and he isn’t going to force his way into that team.
“Surely if he wants to play for England at the Euros, this would be a great move for him.
“It’s one to keep an eye on from now until the end of the window.”
Would Kalvin Phillips be a good signing for Liverpool?
After a successful stint at Leeds United, which culminated in a long-awaited promotion from the Championship and two successful years in the Premier League, the Englishman sealed a £45m move to Manchester City.
However, this move has unravelled into disaster, as Phillips has only mustered four starts in all competitions. This has been due to persistent injury problems as well as the inability to displace the ever-present and ridiculously reliable Rodri.
Following World Cup in Qatar, City boss Pep Guardiola publicly called out the 27-year-old, saying he arrived back at training “overweight” and not in the correct condition to do sessions or play.
Despite weaving his way back into the squad, the Spanish manager has barely deployed the £150k-per-week mishap, and he has been an unused substitute in every game this season.
It seems that Guardiola is willing to repeatedly run the risk of over-playing Rodri instead of taking a chance on Phillips, who looks non-existent in his plans.
Last campaign, Rodri played the most times (56) in the treble-winning squad and netted the winner in the Champions League final versus Inter Milan. He is an indispensable and resoundingly important member of the squad, and it seems like Phillips is powerless against his marvellous consistency.
talkSPORT pundit and former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor has previously described Phillips as “poor”, feeling his career at the Etihad Stadium is “in danger.”
For Liverpool, a side looking to propel themselves back into the top four whilst juggling Europa League football, to sign a player who has barely kicked a ball in the last year and is lacking match sharpness is an awfully risky strategy, and they should seek more logical options.
Phillips’ experience at Anfield could easily closely mirror his disappointing spell at the Etihad Stadium, which would put manager Jurgen Klopp back to square one.
