Man City already have five players to cover Kalvin Phillips exit

It feels like an unfortunate reflection of Kalvin Phillips and his short time at Manchester City that a player who decided he needed to move in January probably won't end up kicking a competitive ball this month.

Despite considerable interest from a range of clubs stretching to before the winter transfer window opened, Phillips flew back from Abu Dhabi on Tuesday with Pep Guardiola and the rest of his City teammates with a deal yet to be agreed. West Ham are increasingly confident that they can find an arrangement, although their next game isn't until February 1.

City have driven a hard price for Phillips because they do not want to give away a respected England international on the cheap, yet it says it all about his bizarre nightmare of a spell at the Etihad that there won't be a need to replace him. Unlike the gasps this time last year when Joao Cancelo was packed off to Bayern on loan, Phillips will be allowed to leave with barely a murmur.

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That is principally because he never established a place in the City team. For all the positive reception to his £45m move from Leeds in the summer of 2022, he has barely been trusted to play under Guardiola and when he has it is hard to recall a convincing display.

In contrast, Mateo Kovacic arrived this summer and effortlessly performed the tasks of a Rodri assistant immediately on the pre-season tour. Despite a few blips this season, he is firmly ahead of Phillips in the pecking order.

So too is Rico Lewis, who has been used almost exclusively in midfield this season - including the big Premier League game at