‘Bank balance looking well’ but £42m Man City flop Kalvin Phillips sent ‘nobody wants you’ warning by fellow Leeds academy graduate

Life was rosy in Phillips’ garden back in 2022 having graced the Premier League with his boyhood club at Elland Road and become a prominent part of Gareth Southgate’s plans at international level - with the European Championship final being started in 2021.

A £42 million ($56m) transfer took him away from his roots and over the Pennines to Manchester. He formed part of a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble-winning squad during his debut campaign at City, but struggled to truly convince demanding head coach Pep Guardiola of his worth.

Loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich kept Phillips in the top-flight, but individual regression continued in London and Suffolk and he stepped back down into the Championship with Sheffield United in 2025-26.

Just four appearances were taken in for the Blades, with a red card collected in what proved to be his final outing on February 22. More fitness issues prevented the 30-year-old from figuring again as uncomfortable questions are asked of what the future holds.

When that question was put to Kilgallon, the former Leeds defender - speaking exclusively to GOAL via the home of betting offers - said: “It's not easy. He's still a player, isn't he? You don't lose your quality, but you do lose your legs. And his game was getting around people, wasn't it? He did have quality on the ball, but he was in there to win the ball back and play it.

“The Man City move from Leeds United, yeah, fantastic for the trophy cabinet. Absolutely brilliant. And you don't win many trophies in your career, but was he part of them? He's coming on now and again. I'm sure his bank balance is looking well. I'm sure the old cigar's out when he looks at that, the old whiskey. I bet he likes looking at that. But maybe when he looks back when he retires, was it the right move? There were other clubs that wanted him, where he could probably have played every game and been the main man still.

“At Sheffield United, I watched a couple of games - I know he'd been out a long time and it's not easy to go straight back in, be that guy that you were four or five years ago, but I thought he looked a little bit lackadaisical, a little bit struggling to get round.

“But what is he, he's only 30, I think. That's not old anymore. These lads are going to 35. But he needs to get his head down and hopefully his injuries are all right. I think the biggest shock will be the difference in wages that he's going to get. I don't think they're going to be up where they were for the last five, six years because people now are probably taking a bit of a chance on him aren't they? Especially Sheffield United. I think you can see that [Chris] Wilder likes him.”

Kilgallon added when it was revealed to him that Phillips is still under contract at City through to 2028, meaning that they will have a big say in what happens next: “Has he still got two on there? Oh my God, I thought he was done there!

“Yeah, it's going to be on Man City. All depends on how much they are willing to pay of his wages, because he's going to be 150 grand a week. Normally Sheffield United or the club they go into will pay half of it, minimum, or a bit more. But they can't be paying that much money for him. It'd have to be where Man City paid 80% of his wages, it would have to be. And you're still up at 20 grand, 25 grand.

“It's a tough one for him. But for me, he's probably got to sit down with Man City and just say, ‘please, what can we do, let me go out and play football again’. Because as much as money he's bringing in, it won't be a good time for him. You want to be playing. You want to be fit. You want to be out there. I think he's going to have to come to an agreement with Man City and just get back playing again. Because before you know it, you're 33, 34, and nobody wants you then.”

The dream of making an emotional return to Leeds appears to have died, with Kilgallon saying of a move that was being mooted a couple of years ago: “Yeah, for sure. It'd have been great, wouldn't it? Three years ago, it was almost like, is he coming back? He was loved there.

“Don't get me wrong, came through the academy, Leeds lad, but you look at them midfielders at Leeds United, they've got in there now - [Anton] Stach, [Ethan] Ampadu, it's full of quality there now. [Sean] Longstaff, like animals, they're good in that centre mid. And if he went to Leeds, okay, he'd have his experience and be able to go around the changing room and stuff like that, but he wouldn't be playing much.”

It has been claimed that Sheffield United, with Wilder still calling the shots there, could ask about another loan for Phillips that allows him to rediscover form and fitness in South Yorkshire while aiding what the Blades hope will be a Premier League promotion push in 2026-27.

He has, however, made just 46 appearances across the last three seasons - while tumbling down the pecking order with England - and may find it difficult to drum up interest while wondering whether his big-money switch to City really was the best decision.