Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is expected to leave Eastlands on loan this January, as he seeks first-team football in order to secure his place in the England Euros squad later this year. He would be open to doing so at Barcelona, say reports stemming from Catalonia.
According to the latest from Sport, Phillips is keen on a move to Barcelona on loan, and has slowed down his decision-making process in order to give the Blaugrana a chance to find the €40m they need from an investor to bring a midfielder in.
Barcelona would only consider a loan where they pay his salary but no fee to City, and Phillips would also want assurances on game time. In spite of his openness to playing for Barcelona, he will not leave his fate until the final days of the market.
With Atletico Madrid, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Crystal Palace all interested too, Barcelona’s chances still look extremely slim. The latest is that City are demanding an €8m fee for the next six months, which would rule the Spanish duo out, but even if those demands are lowered, the Premier League sides would still be willing to pay more in all likelihood.
In order to stand any chance, Barcelona and Atletico must bring in fresh funds by early next week, and hope that Phillips can convince City to allow him out the door for less.
