A proposed loan move for Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City to Newcastle United is not over but the door has opened for two other interested Premier League parties, per a report.
18 months into his Man City career, Phillips is looking for an escape route from the Etihad Stadium. He has rarely started matches since leaving Leeds United in the summer of 2022. To protect his England place ahead of Euro 2024, he may need to find a new club this month.
TEAMtalk has reported extensively on Newcastle’s pursuit of Phillips, recently revealing a disagreement between the two clubs about the conditions of a loan deal.
Newcastle have been linked with Phillips practically ever since Sandro Tonali received a nine-month ban for betting offences. There was optimism they would be able to bring him in, but it might not be as strong as it once was.
According to an update from i, Newcastle no longer want to make reactionary signings in January. Instead, they will focus on their long-term plans, which may mean the 28-year-old Phillips is put to one side (if not ruled out entirely; indeed, we have new information coming up this morning about their continued interest).
Fortunately for him, there are other clubs queuing up for his signature. Recently, he has been linked with European sides Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
i adds that Crystal Palace and Fulham are also interested in keeping him within the Premier League – and taking him down south for the first time in his career.
Fulham are 13th in the Premier League at the time of writing and Palace are 14th. It would be a step down from the level Man City are competing at, but should entail more gametime for Phillips either way.
Why might Fulham and Palace want Phillips?
The London clubs both have coveted defensive midfielders who might be snapped up by other clubs in the not-too-distant future. Fulham’s Joao Palhinha attracted Bayern Munich in the summer and Palace’s Cheick Doucoure was linked with Liverpool, for example.
Fulham were already linked with Phillips last year after rumours suggested they made contact for a deal on deadline day in the summer.
Now, either Fulham or Palace could provide a platform for Phillips to get his Premier League career back on track if they can find favourable conditions for a deal with Man City.
For now, i does not mention if any particular club has become the new most likely candidate to sign Phillips, who will have to be patient for a little longer to secure his next step.
This season, Phillips has played just 10 times across all competitions for Man City, not even starting a single Premier League match.
Overall, he has made 31 appearances for his current employers after his 234-game spell with hometown club Leeds.
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