Overlooked by Guardiola, Phillips could be a January target for Everton

Newcastle or Everton? I wonder which he would choose?

Fighting to get into the Champions League, or fighting to stay out of the Championship?

Very talented but even at Leeds didn't play many games. A resounding No from me.

A mysterious failure at City - not expected under Guardiola. Aké struggled a bit for a time but came through.

I wonder what the story is?

Peter, he made 214 appearances for Leeds? He did have a couple of injuries in his last two seasons there, which reduced his availability. However, I think that’s a pretty healthy number for someone who was considered a stalwart of their team. Anyway, if the barcodes are also in for him as suggested, then I don’t think he’ll be coming here (unfortunately), unless that is, he’s settled in the area & wants to play games.

Newcastle are also interested in the 18yr old kid from Blackburn. He and Phillips play a similar role as I understand it, and although they could no doubt afford to buy both, I'd hope we still have a look in for one or the other. Either way, we need to line up a replacement for Idrissa.

While Phillips’s best days are probably behind him owing to fitness issues we certainly need extra cover in midfield. A ‘try before you buy’ loan might make sense providing the finances permit it.

If Thelwell can work a favourable deal, I would buy outright and take the risk. He never peaked at Leeds and never showed at Man City. 27 but not much wear and tear other than recovery.

Phillips has enough in possession that he could do what Gana cannot. Newcastle have Guimares and we have Onana who isn't settled. It depends on City's needs, he's better off here.

I'd be wary of dealing with Man City, they don't throw good players away, also the possibility of them perhaps wanting Branthwaite would also worry me. Go for the Blackburn kid, rather than a possibly past it player who may have lost his mojo.

Delph Mk II.

Barry #8,

Zinchenko plays for Arsenal who are doing pretty well. So does Jesus.

I'd love Sterling and in his last match he scored 1 and assisted 2.

Cole Palmer has so much potential and also just scored for Chelsea.

Apologies but your post does not stand up to scrutiny or analysis.

I cannot see Man City being interested in Branthwaite. They have central defenders coming out of their ears. They let a better central defender than Branthwaite go to Burnley.

Although Phillips was on the bench at Arsenal, Pep overlooked him when making changes in the second half.

Please God, No! That pineapple-headed overrated bum doesn't end up here.

I've seen some hyped up carthorses but he is in the top five of them. Even when he was at Leeds I thought he was just a runner, a water carrier, really offers nothing.

If Tom Davis is far behind him in skill set, I would be surprised. I will laugh if we get conned into a swap, him for Branthwaite. Watch if he comes, how quickly he gets dropped from the England squad. Anyone who wants him here, give yourself a smacked arse and a head wobble.

I'll end where I started: Please God, No!

He's a guy who's only ever really shone in the Championship.

Yes, he was one of Leeds's best players at the arse-end of our league, where we've now consistently been reduced to, but Man City signing him for that sort of fee, with that sort of mega salary, tells you all you need to know about the absurdity of football governance in the Premier League.

If we try to sign him, his salary demands will be way beyond our pocket courtesy of the widespread ineptitude of Dumb & Dumber.

If we try to get him on loan, will Man City subsidize their extravagant salary?

But, do we need such a "water-carrier" at all?

Dale 7. Free head wobble for you😀

Well I never!! Oh it’s you. Dude can still play Paul

Dale, for you he can play, for me, its a very big NOOO. Now about that head wobble 😀

Reading the comments, there is an ‘eye of the beholder' thing going on with this player. Personally, I'm with the camp that thought he made Leeds miles better by being an omnipresent lynchpin. You may call it a ‘water carrier' role but it can elevate the whole team when done properly.

Maybe he's lost that essential selflessness and work ethic because the move’s gone to his head, or perhaps Pep needs a differently ‘shaped' widget for his finely tuned machine?

Phillips is now a typical player who owes his career to Bielsa: Bielsa helped bringing him to the Apex of his career but at the same time left no gas (and a lot of subsequent injuries) in his tank afterwards. That's the price of playing for Bielsa: one can't have the best of both worlds.

(All those players coached by Bielsa on both sides of the Pond nod their heads sadly but in agreement)

Meeting the ultra high demands of Bielsa doesn't guarantee meeting those of Pep. At other clubs, he would seem to be more an acquisition by the DoF instead of the gaffer. But at Man City where Pep has a say on everything, I would suspect Pep knew the downside risk I mentioned above but took a leap of faith on a player that was rated by someone he admires so much. Fortunately for Pep, getting Phillips in the infirmary didn't backfire as they still won the Treble last season ("It's just Oil Money").

Even if Phillips comes with a clean bill of health and a lot of fire in his belly to prove doubters wrong, we need to overcome:

1) Newcastle's wallet (777 can't even pay transfer bills in Brazil)

2) Our own payroll. Unless Gana Gueye's 6 figures weekly salary is to be moved before acquiring Phillips, I highly doubt Thelwell has the room to manueveur, let alone getting another high salary in a redudant area

Let's not take this too seriously and any further.

NO. Absolutely no way.

He's on £150,000 a week. (That is not a typo.) And his contract runs until 2028.

Nice player, but that's fiscal insanity.

Find myself agreeing with a peculiar group who usually have contrasting views: Barry, Don, Paul and Mike.

I thought Phillips was very good for England a few years ago but his lack of playing time, wages and Pep’s comments on his weight and fitness make me feel like he has turned in Tomas Brolin 2.0.

Even Doucouré is in the final year of contract. We need to find centre-midfield replacements.

I hope Thelwell keeps looking for players around early 20s brackets instead.

John @ 11,

Who is the mystery defender Man City allowed to join Burnley and is better than Branthwaite?

Cos I have seen quite a lot of Burnley but must have missed this gem. Probably cos of the amount of goals Burnley ship on a regular basis…

Annika, I think John means Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Wasn't he the captain of the England U21s who won the recent European Championships?

Anyway, he must be that good, because he's currently on loan at Southampton, who seem to be conceding goals for fun!! He was on loan at Burnley last season. Has also been on loan at that other powerhouse team, Stoke City, and even Blackburn before that. Must be really good!

Annika, I think the player John's referring to is Harwood-Bellis, who was on loan to Burnley last season, now on loan at Championship side Southampton, with an obligation for them to buy him. They've been shipping goals, 21 so far in their 11 games.

Kalvin Phillips is on massive wages, has regular injuries, has the potential to be a Gomes-esque financial ball and chain, how motivated would he be stepping down?

I hope the club has learned lessons from the past. We need to steer clear and for the younger players on the up. I've no problem signing mature players but on sensible financial terms that suit us.

I think he's a very good player when fit but he'd have to take an enormous wage cut to come to us. Not sure I'd be happy paying him (or any player in our current situation) more than £75k. Highly doubt he'd be happy halving his wage.

Next priority for us will be at full-back anyway I expect with Young and Coleman too old and Mykolenko and Patterson not entirely convincing. And possibly a new backup centre-sack to upgrade from Keane and Godfrey.

Gana will need replacing at some point but still looks pretty fit and mobile. And Garner has the potential to be a cheaper, younger Kalvin Phillips.

He's a quality player when fit, probably England's best player in the run to the Euros final just 2 years ago. He's struggled with injuries at City and when that happens at a club like that you slip out down the pecking order.

Would he want to risk going to Newcastle for more bench warming behind Bruno and Tonali?

Everton have got no money and the player would probably not want to go to a club that has escaped Premier League survival for the last 2 seasons.

Either a media non-story or Everton up to their normal and historical antics of trying to "big up" their profile and keep the fans happy.

If City paid £42m they will want shut of him for as much as they can get. We could probably only pay a one year loan fee in instalments over 3 years. And if it’s 777 promising to pay it, City will have to find them first.

As ever with recruitment, this is all about our finances isn't it? So there's a (small) chance this could happen but only as a loan with heavily subsidised wages.

If Thelwell could pull it off, I expect he'd be a big hit provided he could stay fit. Worth a risk as a loan, though surely – especially since we're going to be getting very short of midfielders during Afcon.

And it's a bit daft to say he's not a good player, Paul K. Where have you got that from? It can't be from actually watching him play for Leeds or England where he's been anything from good to excellent. He'd also fit our style of play extremely well.

Robert.

Yea, he would fit our style of play alright, run around doing fuck-all and get £80 grand a week for it with his pineapple head wobbling. Maybe you would like his mate Ayling, on a free, then we would have two pineapples for the price of one! 🙄

Robert, head wobble I'm afraid.🙄

Paul 31 was your better take there.

My angle on this is that Phillips is still hungry to perform since he never got his chance at Man City. No, we wouldn't pay him £150k/week but we may be able to backload payments or arrange for him to benefit from an obvious future transfer.

This is the specific type of player we need in the middle. Yes, finances will likely rule this out but this would be a good landing place for his playing interest.

I trust Thelwell and Dyche will accurately assess his hunger but I do believe he has that fire that would make it workable. Dyche figured out Calvert-Lewin so let's not think there isn't some possibility.

Sam #25, I'd rather have a backup centre-back because we already have two backup "centre-sacks"! (Although I consider Godfrey and Keane perfectly adequate for the moment.)

But personally I am entirely convinced by Mykolenko and Patterson. Mykolenko is a ferocious lockdown defender whose limited attacking skills do seem to be improving with work -- he overlaps well and his crosses haven't been bad in the past few games.

Nathan has barely played 2,000 minutes in his entire career, and his amateurish defensive positioning shows it, but he displays more confidence, skills and attacking verve in every appearance, and the defensive nous will come with time. I expect him to be the full-time starter before this season is over.

Mike # 34,

I agree with you to a degree on the fullbacks. They will improve with games / stability but I doubt both of these two will give us what we really need from the position long term. One or both might be relegated to second choice, behind a really top-class option.

If Patterson was at a club in the top 10 he'd probably be getting games in the Championship right now.

If this current team had prime Baines and Coleman it would suddenly be lifted to a new level. So that probably loops round to Sam's point that full-back is an area for improvement (along with all the other areas).

No, no, no! Never (no more). [Is that how the sea shanty goes?]

This guy will be over-priced, over-paid and over-rated! Wasting money we don't have, or even attempting to spend money we don't have is crazy!

I'd love to say we could try and get Harrison after his loan spell but that won't happen either unless he refuses to play for Leeds and he takes a pay cut to 20 quid a week.

I personally think James Garner has the potential to become as good as Phillips was at his peak, and is a similar style of player.

Tony @24, well summarised, which I agree with.

Also a no for me. I really hope the barcodes get him instead.

He's exactly the sort of player we would have signed 2-3 years ago. Massive salary with little sell on value and questionable contribution whilst here. Also, with Onana and Gueye, is this really the area of the pitch we want to spend our last pennies on?

We have a few out of contract end of this season so any money we have should be going on players who'll be in the squad after this season. Decent-looking players in their early 20s who won't be looking for a 6-figure weekly wage.

Fullback is own area we need to sort out with Coleman and Young likely no longer playing next season.

Really hope we just stop handing our massive salaries to whoever we sign. Can never off-load if it doesn't work out.

There has to be a reason he hasn't played much at Man City.

I was not overly impressed with him at Leeds and, like many players who are over-hyped, they fall flat when becoming a big team player and Everton have had too many of those.

Garner is a better player and has yet to be recognized by Southgate – unlike many of his bootlickers like Henderson.

He's a very different player to James Garner and probably a nice complement - Kalvin Phillips is more defensively minded, ie, a #6 with notes of a #8, Garner is more a #10 with notes of a #8.

Agree with those who say we need full-back recruitment as a priority. Full-backs are so important in the modern game.

However, I also think we need a goalscoring midfield player.

I hope not. He's a liability. Well he is for England at the mo.

Spot on Brian, a dodgy first 20minutes for Phillips and Southgate's team more generally to be fair.

Agreed but Phillips never looked comfortable in Southgate’s system. He always seems to hesitate and doesn’t properly find space in the middle. We may get a discount if his only action is for England.

Yay Harry 1-1

Nice comment on the BBC England thread:

Kalvin Phillips looks well off the pace already. Not surprising really given he can't even get a kick for City even though Rodri is suspended. Very odd selection.

Phillips again!

Jeez… we should steer well clear of him.

John @36,

The song goes:

"And it's no nay never, no nay never no more,
Will I play the wild rover,
no never, no more"

I think it's a song about getting married.

Anyway assuming the wages are appropriate, Phillips would clearly be an upgrade on Gana and the cornerstone defensive midfielder we need.

Ahhh, you edited it as I was jumping in… it's my favourite drinking song (after Durty Auld Town).

And it's about the ruination brought on by drink.

And no to Philips – we should be testing Leicester City's resolve on Ndidi.

"I've been a wild rover for many a year, and I've spent all me money on whisky and beer"

Oh - and no to Phillips

“I've played the wild rover…”

Sorry, it's a song dear to my heart…