Man City misfit tipped to ditch Guardiola and spend his ‘peak years’ at West Ham
Man City have been crowned Champions of England once again, but one of their stars has been told to carefully consider his future.
There can be little debate that Pep Guardiola’s side is one of the finest in Premier League history. The squad has an abundance of talent and could still win the treble this year.
While plenty of City stars are receiving plaudits right now, Kalvin Phillips has been told to carefully consider his future.
The England international has had a tough first season in Manchester following a £42m move from Leeds in the summer.
Phillips spent a portion of the season on the sidelines and otherwise struggled to dislodge Rodri from the starting XI.
Now Gabriel Agbonlahor thinks that Phillips should consider leaving this summer in search of regular game time.
“Rodri isn’t in his 30s, he’s not going anywhere,” the pundit told Football Insider.
“He’s that good – Pep plays him in every game. Whether it’s a big FA Cup game, Carabao Cup game, or whatever. There have even been games where Rodri hasn’t started, but Gundogan slots into that position.
“Pep fits other players in before Kalvin Phillips. If I’m Phillips and I want to play in the European Championships next summer, I’m leaving in this transfer window.”
The 27-year-old made his first league start for City against Chelsea when the title had already been wrapped up.
Across all competitions, Phillips has only featured in 19 matches, with 16 of those being substitute appearances.
West Ham are interested
While Phillips hasn’t exactly set things on fire while in Manchester, he remains a desirable player for plenty of other clubs.
During his time at Leeds, the 27-year-old showcased himself to be one of the best holding midfielders in the league.
He has also shown his class on the international stage with England and remains a popular player in the eyes of Gareth Southgate.
West Ham have been reported as interested in Phillips as they are seeking out a replacement for Declan Rice who looks likely to leave this summer.
Agbonlahor believes that a move to West Ham could be the best thing for Phillip’s career right now.
“Go and play somewhere where you are the first name on the team sheet. A Crystal Palace, or a West Ham,” the pundit adds.
“If West Ham lose Declan Rice, they could get him in. You want to play football as a player, and he hasn’t done that this season.
“These are his peak years, and he needs to be playing football.”
It is worth mentioning that players do tend to develop significantly during their second season at Man City.
Take Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez or Rodri for example. All three players took a season or so to bed into Guardiola’s philosophy and style of play.
The problem that Phillips will have is that he is competing with Rodri, who is arguably the best holding midfielder in the world.
With West Ham said to be interested, Phillips will have a big decision to make on his future this summer.
