- Phillips, 28, has passed his medical and is poised to join West Ham on loan
- England international struggled to win over Pep Guardiola to play at Man City
- CHRIS SUTTON: Why are clubs not signing players? This transfer window needs to liven up! It’s All Kicking Off
Kalvin Phillips was never considered good enough to play for Manchester City with Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff having ‘concerns’ immediately after his £45million move from Leeds, according to reports.
The England midfielder, 28, completed a medical at West Ham on Thursday in the hope he will resurrect his career after limited opportunities at the Etihad.
Phillips played just 593 minutes of football during this debut campaign with City, starting only four matches as he watched their Treble triumph mostly from the subs bench.
Matters have not improved this term, with Phillips not starting a single Premier League game.
The Athletic have reported that as soon as Phillips linked up with City for pre-season training in 2022, Guardiola and his staff worried he wasn’t up to the task of being their holding midfielder.
Kalvin Phillips is close to escaping his Manchester City misery as he joins West Ham on loan
Pep Guardiola reportedly realised very quickly that Phillips wouldn’t fit into his midfield
Phillips had been a key player for Leeds and was an established England international but apparently didn’t grasp the intricate nature of what Guardiola required of him.
The report says that essentially Phillips wasn’t regarded as good enough to play for a highly-tuned City side that would sweep the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League last season.
It was quickly acknowledged that Romeo Lavia, the Belgian midfielder sold to Southampton for £10.5m around the same time as Phillips’ arrival – and now playing for Chelsea – was a better fit.
Guardiola has expressed remorse for derailing Phillips’ career, saying earlier this month: ‘I feel so sorry for my decision for him. I’ve said that many times. He doesn’t deserve what has happened to him and I’m so sorry.’
Phillips has struggled to get into Pep Guardiola’s team since arriving from Leeds for £42m
Phillips will be waving…