Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has refused to rule out a January exit for midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The 27-year-old has had to settle for a peripheral role at the Etihad Stadium since joining the Citizens from Leeds United in the summer of 2022, starting just five of his 26 appearances across all competitions.
Phillips has started just one of Man City's first 13 games of the current campaign and has already fallen behind summer signings Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes in the pecking order, while full-back Rico Lewis and playmaker Bernardo Silva were also preferred ahead of the Yorkshireman in the absence of the suspended Rodri in recent weeks.
Although Phillips still has five years remaining on his contract at the Etihad, the midfielder has hinted at a possible exit from the club in the New Year, stating earlier this week that he will have to "make a decision" on his future "over the next months" if his game time does not improve.
Phillips has returned to Man City after representing England on international duty this month, starting and playing for 70 minutes in the Three Lions' 3-1 victory over Italy in Euro 2024 qualifying on Tuesday.
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Ahead of Man City's Premier League clash at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, Guardiola has suggested that Phillips is ideal for certain fixtures, but other midfielders remain ahead of him at present, leaving the door open to a possible winter-window departure.
"The international transfer window is over, now we're here together," Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday. "When we need a game with transitions and need something with a little bit of chaos, Kalvin is perfect.
"It's something you need to do and today I see one or two players who do it better, the reason is as simple as that, nothing more.
"But he's here and when the transfer window is open, nobody knows."
Phillips has started just two Premier League games for Man City during his 15-month spell at the club, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Chelsea in May a few weeks before playing the full game in a 1-0 loss at Brentford on the final day of last season.
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Man City's No.4 has since featured as a substitute in three top-flight fixtures this term, but he watched on as an unused substitute in the Citizens' 1-0 defeat at Arsenal before the international break.
A host of English clubs have been credited with an interest in Phillips, including Newcastle United who have allegedly identified the midfielder as a possible replacement for Sandro Tonali who is facing a lengthy ban from football amid an ongoing betting probe.
The likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton and West Ham United have also been linked with Phillips, as have Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who have allegedly made contact with Man City to gauge his current status at the club.
It remains to be seen whether Phillips will feature for Man City in Saturday's game against Brighton, with Rodri expected to start after returning from a three-game domestic ban, while Kovacic, Nunes and Lewis are also fit and available for selection.
Man City's only injury absentee is playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who is still recovering from a long-term hamstring problem.
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