Revealed: Pep Guardiola and Man City staff had ‘concerns’ about Kalvin Phillips within a month of his arrival from Leeds

Phillips moved to Etihad for £42 million ($53.5m) from Leeds United on a six-year deal in July 2022. However, the midfielder had always struggled to find his feet under Guardiola. According to The Athletic, the team management raised concerns right from pre-season training in the summer of 2022 as Guardiola and his staff observed Phillips grappling with the intricacies of City's holding midfielder role.

City sold teenage midfielder Romeo Lavia to Southampton for £10.5 million just days after Phillips' arrival as they hoped that the English midfielder had enough quality to nail down a starting berth right from the start. However, after watching Phillips in training, Guardiola opined that the Belgian was a more natural fit for the team than the new signing.

Phillips' early months at City were further complicated by injuries. An illness prevented him from attending his unveiling event, whereas a recurring shoulder problem forced him to go under the knife which led to a lengthy absence until the winter World Cup. During his entire stay in Manchester, he has made just 31 appearances with just over 900 minutes on the pitch.

Phillips is all set to join West Ham on a loan deal to reignite his career ahead of the Euro 2024 Championship in the summer. There will be no buy-option in the contract which means that he would get back to City's stable at the end of the current campaign. He has already completed his medical with his new club and is set for a fresh challenge under David Moyes.