Kalvin Phillips – The Empire of The Kop

Liverpool have recently enquired about signing Manchester City player in January – report

Peter Kenny Jones — Sat, 02 Dec 2023 14:27:38 +0000

With less than a month to the start of the January transfer window, the rumour mill is starting to churn out plenty of names and linking them with a move to Liverpool.

According to 90min.com: ‘Though several clubs from across England and Europe – including Aston Villa, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus – have made enquiries about Phillips’ situation recently, Newcastle are believed to appeal to the 27-year-old.’

It’s certainly not the first time that we’ve been linked with the Leeds-born midfielder and seeing as many think we need a new defensive-minded option in his position – a move would make sense.

It’s easy to understand why the 27-year-old may be frustrated with his game time at Manchester City and so his head would understandably be turned if the right offer comes in.

Having spent so much on a midfield revamp in the summer though, it’s not known whether Jurgen Klopp will have the funds for Kalvin Phillips at this time.

Given the volume of competition for his signature and presence of the deep-pocketed Newcastle, it’s not likely that the England international is going to leave Manchester on a cheap deal.

It’s certainly something that’s worth keeping tabs on and our reported enquiry shows some initial interest but it does seem unlikely that we will pursue this signing much further.

Perhaps the presence of Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Wataru Endo will be deemed enough cover for the rest of this season, at least.

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Joe Cole suggests international boss sent a subtle message to Liverpool-linked ace last night

Liam Togher — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:36:18 +0000

Joe Cole believes that England manager Gareth Southgate has sent a subtle message to Liverpool-linked midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

The Reds have been linked with the Manchester City player at various intervals over the past few months, with the 27-year-old starting only once for the club in all competitions so far this season (WhoScored).

From being a core presence in the Three Lions team which almost won the European Championship in 2021, the Leeds native played for just six minutes during the current international break, an indicator that he’s also at risk of becoming a peripheral player for his country or possible even being axed from the squad.

Speaking on Channel 4 (7:28pm, 20 November 20) prior to last night’s game against North Macedonia, former Liverpool winger Cole said: “Kalvin Phillips not playing. Maybe that’s a message – ‘Kalvin, go and get some minutes somewhere’, because that’s his shirt next to Declan [Rice].”

Phillips’ club manager Pep Guardiola hasn’t dismissed the idea of selling players to Man City’s direct rivals, having previously done so with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer.

However, while Arsenal and Chelsea have posed competition for the treble winners in recent years, no team has done so to the same extent over a prolonged period of time as Liverpool, so the 52-year-old mightn’t be keen on allowing even the less regular members of his squad to move directly to Anfield.

From the Reds’ perspective, the ex-Leeds midfielder might be a prized coup for a few reasons – he’d help with the homegrown quota, he’s proven himself in the Premier League before with his hometown side and he could jump at the chance to feature more regularly elsewhere.

However, it’s a cause for concern that even when Rodri was suspended for three top-flight games earlier this season, and even with Southgate having licence to experiment this month with England already qualified for Euro 2024, Phillips has still been on the fringes at club and international level.

The 27-year-old may well be on the move in January if he wants to be assured of a seat on the plane to Germany next summer, but if he does leave the Etihad Stadium, it probably won’t be for Liverpool, in all likelihood.

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Pep Guardiola wouldn’t stand in the way of letting ‘exceptional’ Man City rock move to Liverpool

Liam Togher — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 17:19:31 +0000

Pep Guardiola has seemingly given the green light for Liverpool to potentially swoop for one member of his Manchester City squad.

The Reds have been linked with Kalvin Phillips at various intervals over the past few months, and the 27-year-old’s current manager has iterated that he wouldn’t get in the way if certain players wish to leave the Etihad Stadium for direct Premier League rivals.

When asked about that subject prior to today’s clash against Chelsea, the City boss replied (via The Mirror): “From my point of view, I have said this to the club many times. I give my opinion to the club and they decide if the transfer suits for both sides and the player.

“Why? I think that means you are a small club (if you block a transfer). Big clubs, they don’t care. They make decisions for the benefit of all three parties: players and both clubs – and the agents sometimes. So really it is not a problem.‌

“If they want to go to Chelsea or [Manchester] United or, I don’t know, Liverpool, whatever, what is the problem? They are happy to be there and the club is happy with the transfer. The other club is happy with the amount of money they spend, so it is fine. Another player will come to us and we keep going in a good spirit and a good mood.”

Man City have a track record of selling players directly to Premier League rivals, with Raheem Sterling joining Chelsea and both Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko swapping the Etihad for Arsenal.

That may give hope to Liverpool if they’re determined to sign Phillips, but it remains to be seen just how interested the Reds would be in the England international, who was recently dubbed ‘exceptional’ by Guardiola (as per Fabrizio Romano).

Jurgen Klopp signed four midfielders during the summer transfer window, including a number 6 in Wataru Endo, although the recent links with Andre Trindade of Fluminense suggest that the Merseysiders are still on the lookout for another midfield anchor.

Phillips could be reasonably attainable, having started only one match in all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), even despite Rodri being suspended for three league games earlier this autumn.

Guardiola has made it clear that he wouldn’t stand in the 27-year-old’s way if he were to eye an exit from the Champions League holders, so it’s now it’s over to Liverpool to evaluate whether they wish to add to their homegrown quota with a potential swoop for the Englishman.

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‘We will see…’ – Romano shares the latest on two midfielders with whom Liverpool had been linked

Liam Togher — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:47:09 +0000

Fabrizio Romano has shared updates on two midfielders with whom Liverpool have been linked in recent weeks and months.

During the summer transfer window, a move to Anfield for Joao Palhinha was deemed a ‘possibility’ by the Liverpool Echo‘s Ian Doyle, while there are also rumours surrounding the Reds and Kalvin Phillips.

The Italian offered his most up-to-date information on both players in his latest Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, although he didn’t mention Jurgen Klopp’s side in relation to either of them.

On the Fulham midfielder, Romano said: “I’m still told that Bayern will insist for Joao Palhinha in January. They will sign a new DM this winter, for sure, and Palhinha remains one of the names on their list.

“The player would also be open to making this move happen, then it depends on Bayern-Fulham negotiations. We will see later this winter.”

Regarding the Manchester City player, the Italian outlined: “Despite links with Newcastle and Everton, I’m not aware of concrete talks on this one. Phillips wanted to stay at City this summer despite some approaches, so he’s still focused on doing his best for City and then a decision will be made later, like November or December.

“Newcastle won’t decide anything on transfer targets before they know what happens in their Champions League group.”

A proposed move to Bayern Munich for Palhinha fell through on deadline day (Sky Sports), a stroke of luck which leaves Liverpool with at least some chance of luring him from Fulham, even though the Bundesliga champions still seem to be firm favourites.

Robbie Savage recently proclaimed that the 28-year-old would be ‘a fantastic fit’ for the Reds, and a Premier League-high match average of 4.7 tackles this season (WhoScored) shows just how effective he is as a midfield destroyer.

As for Phillips, he still seems intent on trying to make it at the Etihad Stadium, but even the absence of Rodri through suspension hasn’t seen the Englishman catapulted into the starting line-up (Transfermarkt).

That could perhaps make it easier to convince him to leave the treble winners but also may be interpreted as an alarm bell that he isn’t at the level to start for a team at the top end of the league table.

Of those two players, Palhinha seems the more ideal target, although Liverpool’s ongoing links with Andre Trindade of Fluminense indicate that he appears to be their priority for the next midfield recruit. Let’s see how these various rumours develop between now and the January transfer window.

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(Video) Pundit urges Liverpool to raid EPL rivals for £45m tank who could free up Mac Allister

Liam Togher — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 07:04:11 +0000

Darren Bent has implored Liverpool to consider raiding one of their Premier League rivals for a player who could allow Alexis Mac Allister to ‘move into his natural position’.

Over the summer, the Reds were linked with Kalvin Phillips, the midfielder who cost Manchester City £45m in 2022 (Sky Sports) but has largely struggled for game-time under Pep Guardiola, starting only two top-flight matches in just over a year at the Etihad Stadium (WhoScored).

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Tottenham striker believes the 27-year-old could be an ideal prospective signing for Jurgen Klopp in terms of being that defensive midfield anchor who’d free up the likes of the Argentine to have more of an influence further forward.

Bent said: “I think Kalvin Phillips would have been disciplined enough to just sit there and know his role [if he joins Liverpool]. He’s a good player; he’s not going to make them weaker.

“He could make them stronger because Mac Allister could then move into his natural position, although I really like Curtis Jones. I think he’s doing a great job.”

The 39-year-old’s logic is sound, as Liverpool’s Argentine summer signing has played almost all his games for the club as a number 6 (Transfermarkt).

Phillips could step into that role seamlessly at Anfield and enable Mac Allister to push forward more often, but given the rivalry between the clubs, the chances of Man City selling one of their players to the Reds seem remote.

You can view Bent’s comments below, via talkSPORT on YouTube:

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Journo: Klopp ‘really interested’ in Liverpool loan swoop for EPL winner who could be allowed to go

Liam Togher — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 07:30:21 +0000

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is ‘really interested’ in a potential loan swoop for a Premier League-winning midfielder in the closing days of the summer transfer window.

Kalvin Phillips is reportedly a name under consideration for the Reds as they seek to bolster their squad ahead of Friday night’s deadline, with the Manchester City player having been of interest to the Anfield hierarchy dating back to his time at Leeds (talkSPORT).

The 27-year-old has struggled for game-time under Pep Guardiola since his move to the Etihad Stadium last summer, leading to speculation over a possible exit from the Champions League holders.

Crook believes Liverpool could possibly swoop for the England international amid Man City’s reported interest in Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes (Sky Sports), with the treble winners’ stance potentially hinging on that transfer pursuit.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Kalvin Phillips is a name that has been mentioned to me in the last couple of weeks as someone that Klopp is really interested in.

“It might be possibly that Manchester City would let him go on loan. I guess that might depend on if City can get the Matheus Nunes deal over the line.”

In relation to the Reds, the journalist added: “They probably are still one midfielder light. I think that’s the priority.”

Having featured in only 14 Premier League games last season (12 as a substitute) and failed to make it onto the pitch for City so far this term, it seems clear that Guardiola doesn’t see Phillips as a core member of his preferred line-up in Manchester.

Not even the summer exit of Ilkay Gundogan has helped the Englishman’s prospects of game-time, while the champions’ ongoing links with Nunes illustrate that the former Leeds midfielder simply isn’t fancied by his manager.

You’d therefore imagine that the 27-year-old could jump at the chance to enjoy a fresh start elsewhere, and Liverpool could still do with adding a Premier League-proven defensive midfielder to their squad.

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It seems like an ideal move for both Phillips and the Reds, but whether City would be happy to loan him to one of their biggest rivals is another matter.

It’d be unfair to judge him on his time at the Etihad, having being given so little opportunity by Guardiola, so a fairer barometer could be his performances for Leeds, for whom he showed his tigerish qualities by averaging 2.65 tackles per game across his two Premier League seasons with the club (WhoScored).

He’d also help towards Liverpool meeting homegrown quota requirements for their domestic and European squads, so while the England midfielder mightn’t seem the most glamorous option to pursue, a loan move for him would actually make plenty of sense in the final days of the transfer window.

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BBC pundit suggests Liverpool could sign ex-midfield target after Man City complete transfer

Farrell Keeling — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 10:53:40 +0000

Manchester City have yet to sign Matheus Nunes from Wolves this summer, though Alan Shearer suggested that a successful completion of said transfer could leave Liverpool free to land Kalvin Phillips.

The Sky Blues star was previously linked with an Anfield switch at a time when he was still plying his trade at Leeds United, with links reignited () amid the Reds’ ongoing search for midfield reinforcements.

“Do you think that because Man City are trying to sign [Matheus] Nunes from Wolves that means Kalvin Phillips is going to go somewhere possibly Liverpool?” the BBC pundit spoke on The Rest is Politics Podcast.

Shearer went on to add: “Only I mentioned that Micah [Richards] because you mentioned signings, I think that’s one that could happen if City get him from Wolves then that would free up Kalvin Phillips to go somewhere.”

Able to play in a holding midfield role, higher up the pitch and as a backup centre-half, the Merseysiders would most certainly be getting a multi-functional midfielder in the 27-year-old were they to take their reported interest in the player to another level.

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That very much remains to be seen, of course, amid ongoing talks with Bayern Munich over Ryan Gravenberch, whilst one would imagine the likes of Manu Kone and Khephren Thuram are somewhat higher up on the shortlist.

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Not that we’d be opposed to the move if our recruitment team were convinced by the value Phillips could offer on the pitch.

That’s not to suggest we wouldn’t have any concerns at all over such a transfer in light of the Englishman’s limited time on the pitch of late, having only played 593 minutes since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

We’d back a world-class like Jurgen Klopp to make something of him, of course, if it came down to it.

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‘It’s true’ – Romano confirms Liverpool interest in Manchester City international

Peter Kenny Jones — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 10:59:18 +0000

Liverpool fans are expecting that the club will bolster their options before the transfer window closes and it seems that links to one Premier League player are growing by the day.

Speaking on Kick, Fabrizio Romano reported: “Liverpool started the conversation to be informed on the situation of another player, who is Kalvin Phillips…

“It’s true that Liverpool asked about the situation of Kalvin Phillips because the priority of the player has always been to stay at Manchester City and fight for his place at City. But then, at the moment, there is no concrete negotiation club to club”.

It seems that we have enquired about the services of Kalvin Phillips but that these discussions ended as quickly as they begun and now we look unlikely to be adding him to our squad.

There always seemed to be stumbling blocks in the way of this deal, such as the frosty relationship between ourselves and Manchester City at a boardroom level.

Then you factor in the likely high price tag that would be required for the England international and the fact that he’s already 27-years-old – it never seemed to be an easy deal to agree.

It seems attention can now turn to other possible targets but with just over a week remaining of the window, this seems that concrete links are not currently on the near horizon.

It would be typical of us to see a name crop up out of nowhere and then watch that man become a Red in a matter of hours, so we should perhaps ready ourselves for that eventuality.

Now though, it’s time to wait and see what happens on the transfer front – whilst Jurgen Klopp prepares his squad for the Newcastle United match.

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(Video) Sky Sports pundits discuss Liverpool links to Kalvin Phillips this summer

Peter Kenny Jones — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 15:51:30 +0000

It’s likely to be a final week of a transfer window that is crammed with speculation around who Liverpool could sign next and one of the most recent names in the rumour mill is Kalvin Phillips.

On Sky Sports News, the pundits present discussed what the England international could add to Jurgen Klopp’s side and how likely a signing was in this window.

We all know that the 27-year-old has obvious talent that he has showcased for the national team and in a Leeds United shirt but his career has stagnated at the Etihad Stadium.

One major stumbling block will be the less than positive relationship we have with Manchester City and a likely high asking price for his services.

At 27-years-old too, Jurgen Klopp may not be allowed to finance a deal for the midfielder – even if he wanted to.

There’s still some time left in the window for a shock to happen though and that’s why these rumours are causing so much discussion.

You can view the discussion about Phillips (from 0:58) via Sky Sports News on YouTube:

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Romano shares what he knows about Liverpool interest in Phillips and Amrabat

Peter Kenny Jones — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:39:37 +0000

With just over a week to go of the transfer window, it’s expected that Liverpool are ready to take the plunge on signing another midfielder and this has seen a reemergence of two highly speculated players this summer.

In his Daily Briefing, Fabrizio Romano reported: ‘Kalvin Phillips has been attracting links with Liverpool again, but I’m not aware of anything concrete or advanced.

‘Liverpool can sign another midfielder but only if they find the right opportunity in terms of price, conditions and more.

‘They made calls last week for 4-5 midfielders – Sofyan Amrabat was another on of those – but just to be informed on conditions of the deals, nothing concrete after they signed Wataru Endo’.

We did see links to Kalvin Phillips spread on social media on Monday and that has led to some speculating that a potential move for the England international could be back on the cards.

However, given our relationship with Manchester City, the age of the 27-year-old and the likely large transfer fee – it doesn’t seem like this one will be happening any time soon.

As for Sofyan Amrabat, it feels like the Moroccan has been on our radar for months now but the lack of confidence to go and secure a deal with Fiorentina should suggest some uneasiness about the player from our recruitment staff.

Although we are in need of reinforcing the middle of the pitch, there’s little need to do so if it’s not the right player.

Jurgen Klopp seemed to be able to convince our owners to abandon the usual age profile in a move for Wataru Endo and so it’ll be interesting to see what type of player, if any, we do secure in the closing stages of a crazy window.

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Liverpool links to rival PL midfielder resurface as transfer window nears close – report

Peter Kenny Jones — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:34:21 +0000

It’s no surprise to hear that with just over a week to go in the transfer market, Liverpool are continuing to be linked with midfielders and another name has resurfaced that will intrigue our supporters.

Taking to social media, talkSPORT reported: ‘#LFC are considering a move for #MCFC midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

‘Phillips had planned to stay & fight for his place, but Liverpool could test the player’s resolve after adding him to their shortlist’.

It seems that Kalvin Phillips could be growing in his disinterest towards competing for a place in the Manchester City side, given their success without him getting near any game time.

There’s no doubt that the 27-year-old is a talented player but it’s not likely that he gave up stardom at his hometown club, in order to be a squad player with little opportunities.

Given his age, the Leeds-born midfielder will surely be itching to get a starting role and prove Pep Guardiola wrong by starring elsewhere and that could well be at Anfield.

The main issue will be that it seems both us and the Manchester outfit aren’t the best of friends away from the pitch and so it’s not going to be easy for us to poach one of their players.

It seems likely we would be interested in signing the England international but whether we can get his parent club to play ball, is a whole other issue.

You can view the Phillips update via @talkSPORT on X:

BREAKING: #LFC are considering a move for #MCFC midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips had planned to stay & fight for his place, but Liverpool could test the player’s resolve after adding him to their shortlist.

– talkSPORT sources understand

More ☞ https://t.co/dHUPYxgeNi pic.twitter.com/ZlYyoysM4G

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 21, 2023

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(Video) The Athletic reporter can’t see one reported Reds target joining Liverpool this month

Liam Togher — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:18:50 +0000

One reliable journalist can’t see a reported Liverpool transfer target leaving his current club before the end of the summer transfer window.

Last month, The Athletic‘s James Pearce stated that Kalvin Phillips had been ‘among those under consideration’ by the Reds as a potential midfield recruit.

However, his colleague David Ornstein has now said that he expects the 27-year-old to remain at Manchester City, despite widespread speculation of a possible exit from the Etihad Stadium in recent weeks.

The journalist told Hayters TV: “They’ve still got Kalvin Phillips there. Despite a lot of speculation around him I do expect him to stay and fight for his place in the coming season.”

Signed from Leeds for an initial £42m last summer (Sky Sports), the England international started only two Premier League games in his first season at Manchester City (WhoScored) and even had to face accusations from his own manager Pep Guardiola of being ‘overweight’ (BBC Sport).

That mightn’t make Phillips seem like the most appealing transfer target, and in any case Liverpool seem to be concentrating firmly on trying to get Romeo Lavia over the line, although the 27-year-old must’ve done something right at Elland Road to convince the champions to move for him.

He now seems to be off the table for this month, but if he continues to struggle for game-time at the Etihad, could he become a viable target for the Reds in 2024? Let’s see what happens in the meantime.

You can view Ornstein’s comments below (from 2:28), via Hayters TV on YouTube:

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Pearce confirms Man City midfielder is ‘under consideration’ as Fabinho replacement for Liverpool

Peter Kenny Jones — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 12:36:24 +0000

Liverpool supporters have been rocked by interest from Saudi Arabia in our players and now that Fabinho seems to be on the brink of leaving the club, we are already weighing up our options as to who could replace him.

Writing for The Athletic, James Pearce reported: ‘Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips [is] among those under consideration’.

The England international certainly won’t be the only player on the shortlist but it’s an interesting name to crop up, as we now need a No.6 who can make an immediate impact ahead of the start of the new campaign.

Heading to Stamford Bridge in less than a month will mean that whoever is signed between now and then will likely be given a starting role by Jurgen Klopp and this next signing will have to be completed quickly.

The talents of Kalvin Phillips were obvious during his time at Leeds United but in an all-conquering Manchester City side, he struggled to be handed minutes on the pitch and that could be something to use to our advantage.

If the 27-year-old is unhappy with game time and knows that a starting role is on offer at Anfield, then he may be convinced that his future is best spent on Merseyside.

The main issue, as always, will boil down to money and whether Pep Guardiola is happy to sell to us.

These are two major hurdles for this deal being completed and only time will tell if we can get over them.

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Melissa Reddy names 4 possible replacements for Fabinho at Liverpool and rules out another

Liam Togher — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 11:02:48 +0000

Following the bombshell omission of Fabinho from Liverpool’s squad travelling to Germany for a pre-season training camp, and a £40m bid from Al-Ittihad being made, the Brazil midfielder could be into his final few days as a Reds player.

In light of this morning’s significant update on the 29-year-old, Melissa Reddy has named four players who the Merseyside club are believed to be ‘assessing’ as possible replacements for him, while also appearing to rule out one current Premier League ace.

The Sky Sports journalist tweeted: “Liverpool had been assessing longer-term candidates to replace Fabinho. Profile might shift as they’ll require an immediate starter.

“Among the names mooted have been Sofyan Amrabat, Ryan Gravenberch, Kalvin Phillips and Romeo Lavia… Moises Caicedo not on their list.”

The quartet mentioned by Reddy had all been linked with Liverpool in recent weeks and months to varying degrees of intensity, with Lavia’s name being floated the most consistently of late by various media.

He and Phillips are the two named candidates who boast Premier League experience and would be the most helpful to the Reds meeting their squad requirements for homegrown quotas.

The Manchester City powerhouse and Gravenberch may seen reasonably attainable due to their lack of game-time at their respective clubs last season, although Pep Guardiola’s side could have reservations about selling to the team who’ve been their strongest challengers during his reign at the Etihad Stadium.

Despite reports on Friday of Caicedo being a possible target (talkSPORT), Brighton’s vertiginous £100m asking price may have seen Liverpool strike a red line through his name as a player to pursue this summer.

With Fabinho now looking likely to leave following his omission from the pre-season travelling party, it’s crucial that the Reds act quickly in buying a readymade replacement in the number 6 role who’d be up to the task of performing to the standard of a Jurgen Klopp team.

You can see Reddy’s tweet below, via @MelissaReddy_ on Twitter:

Liverpool had been assessing longer-term candidates to replace Fabinho. Profile might shift as they'll require an immediate starter. Among the names mooted have been Sofyan Amrabat, Ryan Gravenberch, Kalvin Phillips and Romeo Lavia…

Moises Caicedo not on their list.

— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) July 15, 2023

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Liverpool shouldn’t move for £35m midfielder Steven Gerrard hailed as ‘high-class’ – opinion

Farrell Keeling — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 10:18:44 +0000

Steven Gerrard has backed Manchester City’s exit-linked midfielder Kalvin Phillips to have a ‘fantastic season’ with the Sky Blues in 2023/24.

This follows on from the England international’s goalscoring performance for Gareth Southgate’s men in the Euros qualifying clash with North Macedonia.

“I think that will give him motivation as well to come back and have a real strong pre-season,” the former Rangers boss told Channel 4 (in quotes carried by HITC).

“He will have had a frustrating season, but we all know he has got high-class quality.

“He will be desperate to go the Euros next season, and he will do that by having a fantastic season at Man City.”

The former Leeds United figurehead – whom the Reds allegedly wish to sign for £35m this summer (Daily Star) – has been something of an outcast at the Etihad of late after being deemed overweight by Pep Guardiola after returning from World Cup action in Qatar.

Not a chance Liverpool try and sign Kalvin Phillips – nor should they!

Whilst Phillips’ obvious talent is no doubt wasted on the bench, it stands to reason that Liverpool probably won’t feel inclined to change that situation themselves.

The midfielder, typically utilised as a holding midfielder, simply isn’t what we’re looking for at 27 years of age. That much is certainly clear from our efforts of late, with the likes of Khephren Thuram (22) and Manu Kone (22) figuring high up in the list of reported targets.

Would signing Kalvin Phillips restrict Stefan Bajcetic’s development? – (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

We’ve been known to make exceptions where world-class quality is concerned (see our prior move for Thiago Alcantara), though a move for the Manchester City man would rightly be seen as something of a risk after amassing less than 600 minutes (according to Transfermarkt) last term.

Only two years separate Phillips and Fabinho (29) on top of that, which raises difficult questions too about future-proofing at a time when we’re clearly desperate for young, dynamic legs.

With all due respect – he simply wouldn’t be right for Liverpool this summer.

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