England struggles remind Man City of a transfer they must get right this summer

After the drama over Jack Grealish and the debate over Phil Foden came something entirely less predictable: the longing for Kalvin Phillips.

Manchester City have never seen the best of the midfielder they paid Leeds £45m for two years ago, and on Thursday Gareth Southgate said that England are struggling to show their best without him. After another laboured performance at the European Championship, Southgate pointed to the lack of a replacement for the out-of-form Phillips as a reason for their stark issues in midfield.

As weird as it may seem, there is something to be said for a player who can make others better and improve the system in the way that Phillips did for a good few years with England. The very fact that Southgate is still looking for that lost player should be telling for City.

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Of course, the chances of Phillips rediscovering his old form at City have gone. There is too much water under the bridge in a move that inexplicably went wrong from the start for it to be salvaged, with the player needing to leave either on loan or in a permanent deal to rekindle what he had with Leeds and England.

Southgate's comments do show the market that still exists for such a talent though, and it is in the interests of both the player and his club to recreate those circumstances. City got it wrong with Phillips two years ago, and the West Ham loan in January went pretty disastrously, but there is surely a move out there that gets the midfielder back to his most valuable.

There may be several interested clubs