Juventus begin parley with Man City over Kalvin Phillips deal

Serie A giants Juventus have flagged off discussions with Manchester City over the possibility of taking Kalvin Phillips on loan for the second half of the season.

The England international has spent the last year-and-a-half on the fringes of Pep Guardiola’s setup since joining the Premier League champions in a €49m (£42.2m) transaction from Leeds United in 2022.

The super form of Rodri has made it difficult for Phillips to earn a look-in at Man City, where Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Rico Lewis and Kevin De Bruyne are also vying for midfield minutes.

The 28-year-old has featured just nine times for the treble winners in the ongoing campaign and is yet to start a Premier League game in 2023-24, making just four substitute appearances totalling 89 minutes.

Phillips scored his first goal for the club from the penalty spot in last week’s 3-2 Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade, but that was only his second start of the season, having also featured from the off in an EFL Cup defeat to Newcastle United.

Man City handed Phillips a lucrative six-year contract upon his arrival at the Etihad, meaning that he is not due to become a free agent until 2028, but all parties are working on an exit at the earliest opportunity.

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Juventus have long been linked with a swoop for the ex-Leeds lynchpin, while Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also said to have been alerted to his availability.

Aiming to steal a march on their English rivals in the race, talkSPORT reports that Juventus have now made contact with Man City and are discussing a temporary deal for the out-of-favour Phillips next month.

The Bianconeri have lost two midfielders to off-field demeanours this season, as Nicolo Fagioli is serving a seven-month ban for illegal gambling, while Paul Pogba is still waiting to learn of his doping punishment, which could be as severe as a four-year suspension.

The report adds that the England international would be open to leaving his homeland to try his hand at Serie A football, although disagreements over a permanent transfer clause could potentially put a deal at risk.