Manchester City have confirmed the capture of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, with the England international sealing a move to the Premier League champions.
The 27-year-old was a priority target for City this summer following the departure of long-standing veteran and club captain Fernandinho.
Phillips' departure from Leeds, the boyhood club he helped steer from mid-table mediocrity in the Championship to the top flight under Marcelo Bielsa, sees him depart Elland Road as one of their modern-day legends, especially after his Euro 2020 exploits.
How much will Man City pay for Phillips?
Manchester City will pay an initial £42 million ($52m) fee for Phillips, with Guardiola's side expected to potentially shell out up to another £3m ($3.7m) in add-ons.
Leeds however believe the deal could ultimately grow to be in excess of £50m ($61m), if each clause is met in the contract.
The deal for Phillips has no bearing on Leeds' simultaneous capture of City youngster Darko Gyabi in a separate move, the Elland Road outfit paying £5m ($6m) for the 18-year-old midfielder.
What is Phillips' Man City salary and contract length?
Phillips has signed a six-year contract at City, which will tie him to the Premier League champions until the summer of 2028.
Reports have suggested he will earn a salary of around £150,000-per-week at Etihad Stadium, which if confirmed would be a significant step up on his current wage packet at Leeds.
What shirt number will Phillips wear at Man City?
The England international will wear No.4 for the English champions, having previously donned No.23 for Leeds.
He will be the first player to wear No.4 for Man City since their heroic former captain Vincent Kompany, who left the club in 2019.
What has Phillips said about joining Man City?
He said: “It is a good feeling to get everything sorted and I am officially a Manchester City player which I am really happy about. I think over the past few years at Leeds I have done really well and obviously got into the England squad and did really well there.
"I am very appreciative of what I have done at Leeds and everyone I have been around, so I just want to test myself in the next step with good players with an unbelievable work ethic and an unbelievable manager as well.”
“I am absolutely delighted to have joined Manchester City. They have again proved to be the best team in the country with an amazing squad and a manager in Guardiola who is rightly considered to be the finest in the world.
“To be able to play under Pep and learn from him and his coaching staff as well as be part of such a fantastic squad is a prospect that I am incredibly excited about.
“Man City are a world-class club with world-class staff and facilities and it’s a dream come true to have joined the club. Now I can’t wait to get started and to look to try and help the team to go on and achieve more success.”
Phillips the ideal profile for Guardiola defensive midfielder
The view from GOAL's Manchester City Correspondent, Jonathan Smith:
Man City are not standing still despite winning four Premier League titles in five years, and Phillips is another impressive signing following the capture of Erling Haaland.
Replacing Fernandinho was a priority this summer, and the holding midfield role is a position that Guardiola has seen as key since his playing days at Barcelona under Johann Cruyff.
Spotting danger and having the intelligence to dictate attacks are two of the most important attributes that Guardiola requires, and Phillips showed he has both of those during his time under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds and while playing for England.
He faces a fight with Rodri for a starting spot, with the Spain midfielder becoming a crucial member of Guardiola's squad.
However, a £42m deal looks extremely good value for money for a player that has the potential to push Rodri further and add greater depth and quality to a squad that will want to compete on four fronts.
Where will Phillips play for Man City?
Phillips will mostly compete with Rodri for the defensive midfield role in Guardiola's 4-3-3 formation, which has been so successful during his time at the Etihad Stadium.
However the City boss will also have some flexibility, with the possibility that the pair could play alongside each other with higher overlapping full-backs in a similar way that Gareth Southgate uses Phillips for England alongside Declan Rice.
The arrival of Haaland as a striker will mean that Guardiola will have to tweak his strategy in 2022-23, and landing a player with the quality of Phillips will give him more options.
Who else will Man City sign and sell this summer?
Phillips is the second major target of the summer through the door at the Etihad Stadium - and oddly enough, the second to hail from Leeds, given that Norway forward Haaland, secured in a £51 million ($63m) from Borussia Dortmund, was also born in the West Yorkshire city.
With that pair now on board, City are expected to turn their attention to sealing a successful pursuit of Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella, with the champions tipped to beat out Chelsea and Tottenham for the Spain international.
There are also reports linking them with a move for Arminia Bielefeld goalkeeper Stefan Ortega as an understudy for Ederson.
There are also set to be a number of departures from the Etihad Stadium in the coming weeks, with Gabriel Jesus having finalised a £45m ($55m) move to Arsenal in the past week.
Raheem Sterling could also leave, with Chelsea keen on the England star, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is of interest to a number of Premier League clubs, including Everton.
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