Liverpool are considering a move for out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, according to reports. The Reds will be looking to cover the potential departures of club captain Jordan Henderson, and Fabinho.
Is Kalvin Phillips joining Liverpool?
As of right now, any potential Liverpool move is in the earliest of stages, with Fabinho and Henderson not even officially out the door as of yet. However, Phillips joins Ryan Gravenberch and Cheik Doucoure among the options discussed by those at Anfield, according to Dominic King of The Daily Mail.
Given that the price-tag set on Doucoure is reportedly as much as £70m, Liverpool could set their focus on Phillips or Gravenberch this summer, with the Reds "considering" a move according to King.
"Liverpool considering options for reinforcements including Cheick Doucoure, Ryan Gravenberch and Kalvin Phillips," the reporter said on Twitter on Wednesday evening.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are indeed looking to seal Henderson's departure to Al-Ettifaq, whilst also working on the departure of Fabinho to Al-Ittihad for a reported £40m fee.
Should the duo depart as expected, Jurgen Klopp's side will be left short in the middle of the park, despite securing the signatures of both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai this summer.
With Romeo Lavia also linked with a move to Anfield from Southampton in the current window, it will certainly be interesting to see the route that Liverpool go down when it comes to replacing their departing stars.
Should Liverpool sign Kalvin Phillips?
In truth, Phillips has struggled ever since swapping Leeds United for Manchester City in a deal worth around £50m last summer. The England international was hit with an injury blow at the start of his time at The Etihad, and things haven't improved from there.
Making just 21 appearances in all competitions last season, as City won the treble, Phillips has every right to believe that maybe his career is better off elsewhere.
And that's where Liverpool could come in. The Reds will be short on midfielders – especially those that are experienced – come the start of the forthcoming Premier League campaign, which makes Phillips an ideal option.
It remains to be seen just how much City will ask for the out-of-favour midfielder, but they may at least want to recoup close to the inital £50m fee that they spent just one year ago.
If Klopp and co pursue a move this summer, it's certainly a deal that could set them up for a season back among the title contenders. The midfielder has attracted plenty of praise in the past, with former England boss Fabio Capello calling him "phenomenal" and current gaffer Gareth Southgate saying back in 2021, via TeamTalk: “He’s been excellent.
“The way he has taken to international football, it hasn’t surprised us because what we’d seen with Leeds, even in the Championship, we felt could convert into our team. We felt he could play an important role with us.
"To play in the enormity of the matches he did in the summer and play as well as he did is massive credit to him.
“He’s a very, very good player and he’s been a really important part of this – we’re 16 games unbeaten [in regulation time] now and he’s been a huge part of that.”