Kalvin Phillips has reportedly informed Manchester City that he wants to end his tumultuous spell at the Etihad Stadium on a permanent basis this summer.
The Englishman was one of England's brightest young players during his time at Leeds United, and his impressive performances for the Whites saw City splash out £42m to bring him to Manchester in 2022.
It was widely expected that the England international was brought in as the long-term replacement for Rodri.
However, Phillips had to wait seven months for his first-team debut for the Citizens owing to injury and was criticised by Pep Guardiola, who said he had returned from the World Cup in Qatar overweight.
The 28-year-old made 12 appearances in his first full season in Manchester and just 31 for the Premier League champions in the last two years, most of which came as a substitute.
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Phillips tells club he wants to leave this summer
After struggling mightily to find the sort of form he showed at Elland Road, Phillips was loaned to West Ham United in January in hopes of revitalising his career.
At the time, it seemed like the perfect move for him, as it held the promise of more game time and a chance to showcase his true ability, but things did not go as planned as he started just three of the 10 matches he played in.
Additionally, his stint was overshadowed by a red card in his fourth game, and his overall performance at the London Stadium resulted in his exclusion from England's Euro 2024 squad.
Phillips returned to Manchester this summer and is currently part of Guardiola's travelling squad in the US for pre-season, but Football Insider report that the midfielder has now requested a move away from the Etihad this summer.
The report adds that City have been looking for another loan for him in the upcoming season, but the player prefers a permanent move, which he feels will allow him to settle at a new club.
It is understood that the Premier League champions are willing to allow him to leave and have set an asking price in the region of £20m.
Aston Villa and Everton have been credited with interest in the England international but are believed to prefer a loan move initially before committing to sign him permanently.
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Other big names that could follow Phillips out of the Etihad this summer
Aside from Phillips there are a few other big-name players that could be departing the Etihad this summer, including the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and Jack Grealish.
De Bruyne, who turned 33 last month and entered the final 12 months of his current contract, has been heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, though Guardiola has attempted to rubbish those claims, telling reporters he is 'not leaving'.
However, unlike in the case of the Belgian, the City boss was unable to provide any assurances over the future of Ederson.
Speaking in his first pre-season post-match press conference, Guardiola admitted: "I don't know if Ederson will stay. He has to make a decision."
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, claims that the Citizens would be open to selling the Brazilian shot-stopper for a fee of around £50m to £60m.
Grealish, meanwhile, has fallen in the pecking order since the arrival of Jeremy Doku, managing just 20 Premier League appearances last season, and both Tottenham and Bayern Munich are believed to be keeping an eye on him this summer.
Devesh Jaganath
