How far United are willing to go to get Kalvin Philips

The Kalvin Phillips The Manchester United transfer would result in more issues than it would solve.

Due to a dearth of games at the Etihad Stadium, Kalvin Phillips, a midfielder for Manchester City, has been linked to an unexpected move to Manchester United.

This weekend, Kalvin Phillips, a midfielder for Manchester City, has been connected to Manchester United.

When Manchester United had Kalvin Phillips on their wishlist in the summer of 2022, it seemed nothing more than a pipe dream.

At the time, Phillips was one of the most in-demand English midfielders in European football. He had excelled for his boyhood club Leeds United as well as on the international stage.

With the Yorkshire club on their way down to the Championship, his departure was inevitable. However, the likelihood of him joining United considering his roots was unfeasible.

Phillips said as much when leaving Elland Road as Manchester City splashed £42m on the midfielder. Fast forward a year and a half later and a switch to Old Trafford is being discussed again but, once more, the transfer is impractical – but for different reasons.

Firstly, doing business with the blue half of Manchester raises red flags straight away. The last time a senior player directly bridged the divide was Carlos Tevez and that caused huge controversy.

While the deal for the Fletcher twins in the summer suggests a line of communication is open, poaching a player from City who is fringe level at best doesn’t appear to be a wise move to win over the supporters. Speaking of Phillips’ talents, it is hard to see how the 28-year-old would be the immediate answer to United’s problems.

The midfielder has become ‘damaged goods’ at City as Pep Guardiola alluded to last week in his press conference. He has been unable to unseat Rodri in the Blues’ midfield and, as such, has been forced to spend the last 18 months of his career watching from the sidelines.

Should he make the switch to the Theatre of Dreams, United would need him to hit the ground running but understandably Phillips will be in need of some time to get back up to speed. This is a luxury the Reds cannot afford.

Ultimately, the arrival of the England international would probably mean that Kobbie Mainoo would once more fall from grace. Although the young player from Stockport is still raw, he has already shown flashes of his potential for this team.

Why put his growth at risk in order to take a chance on Phillips? In the end, it appears that United has sailed for the City man, and the Reds also need to move forward. Erik ten Hag has the option to sign a midfield player in January if he so chooses, but this move would cause more issues than it would solve.