Manchester City are planning to part ways with one of their senior players after reports confirmed that one of their top midfielder is set to join Sheffield United on loan for the remainder of the season.
The move, described as a “full agreement” between the clubs, brings an end to months of uncertainty for the forgotten Kalvin Phillips whose reputation has faded dramatically since his high-profile transfer to the Etihad Stadium.
Once celebrated as England’s standout performer and voted the nation’s Player of the Year following Euro 2020, Phillips has endured a difficult slide from prominence.
His switch to City in the summer of 2022 was supposed to represent the peak of his career, a chance to compete for major honours under Pep Guardiola and alongside some of the finest talents in world football.
Instead, the transfer has become a cautionary tale of how quickly momentum can be lost at the highest level.
The 30-year-old has barely featured for the Sky Blues. His only appearance this season came in September when he was introduced for the final minutes of a Carabao Cup victory over Huddersfield Town.
Prior to that, a loan spell at Ipswich Town failed to provide the platform he needed, as injury cut short his attempt to rebuild confidence and form.
Sheffield United, currently struggling in the lower reaches of the Championship table, have now offered Kalvin Phillips a route back into regular football.
According to report by The Athletic, the deal is a straightforward loan with no option to buy and will be completed subject to a medical examination.
For a player desperate simply to feel valued again, the opportunity to play meaningful minutes may be more important than the division in which they come.
Phillips is no stranger to the Championship. He spent several seasons in the league with Leeds United, helping the Yorkshire club return to the Premier League in 2020 after a long absence.
Those performances, full of energy and tactical intelligence, convinced Guardiola that he could be an ideal understudy to Rodri at City. What followed, however, was a sequence of setbacks that derailed the plan almost immediately.
Just weeks after arriving in Manchester, Phillips required surgery on a shoulder problem, ruling him out for a significant period.
By the time he returned, City’s midfield structure had evolved without him, and opportunities were scarce.
Although Gareth Southgate still included him in England’s squad for the 2022 World Cup, the tournament did little to revive his club fortunes.
Guardiola’s candid assessment on Phillips’ return from Qatar only deepened the sense of crisis.
The City manager stated that the midfielder was “overweight” when he rejoined the squad, comments that attracted huge attention and placed further scrutiny on a player already fighting to prove himself.
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Guardiola later apologised, but the damage to Phillips’ confidence appeared lasting.
The move to Bramall Lane offers short-term relief, yet it does not solve the broader problem facing both player and club.
Kalvin Phillips signed a long-term contract when he completed his £45 million ($61.4 million) transfer from Leeds, and remarkably there are still two seasons remaining after the current campaign.
That commitment ties him to City until 2028, making a clean break complicated.
Wages are the central obstacle. Phillips reportedly earns around £150,000 per week, a figure far beyond the reach of most Championship sides.
Even established Premier League clubs would hesitate to take on such a salary for a player who has started so few matches in recent years.
While it is understandable that he wishes to honour a contract worth nearly £8 million per season to secure his family’s future, the financial gap severely limits his options.
