“We talked with him, his agent and the club, He will be Leaving by January”- Pep Guardiola Set to terminate Contract of £45m player
Pep Guardiola has revealed some behind-the-scenes information about his meeting with Kalvin Phillips about a possible summer exit from Manchester City.
The Manchester club were willing to let the midfielder leave the club during the recent summer transfer window, just one year after purchasing him from Leeds United for a fee of £45 million.
However, with the Englishman still at the Etihad Stadium, City manager Pep Guardiola has been discussing the matter and what the current state of affairs is about the 27-year-old and his place in the squad.
Guardiola had this to say regarding his conversation with Phillips during his latest press conference before of today’s Premier League match against West Ham United.
“We talked with him and the club about going on loan because he didn’t have a lot of minutes, but he decided ‘no, I want to stay,'” he stated.
“He is most welcome.” They are welcome as a good guy who accepts everything and stays. When the transfer window closes, every player here will be a part of the family and will contribute.
“He has room to grow because the dynamics he came from were very opposite. He stuck with us, and with the guys on our roster who are currently sidelined, it is critical that he be ready.”
With Phillips starting just four of the 21 games he played in last season, it’s easy to see why the club was reportedly inclined to letting him leave in the summer.