Manchester City are reportedly prepared to send Kalvin Phillips out on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 campaign should his game time not increase at the Etihad Stadium.
The 27-year-old made the switch to the Premier League champions from Leeds United last summer following a eight-year senior career at Elland Road.
Phillips featured 234 times for the Lilywhites, helping the club gain promotion to the Premier League in 2020 following a 16-year spell outside of England's top flight.
The midfielder has found it significantly harder to make an impression with the Citizens so far however, starting just two Premier League matches in the 2022-23 term.
According to The Independent, Manchester City are willing to loan Phillips out in the January transfer window if he is still struggling for minutes at the Etihad.
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It is understood that Pep Guardiola's side would only entertain temporary offers for the England international, meaning that he would return to Manchester at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign.
The report claims that although Phillips is ready to fight for a regular place at the European champions, he will be handed the opportunity to move elsewhere for the second half of the season should his game time not increase between now and January.
It is believed that Newcastle United would be interested in adding Phillips to their ranks should he be made available at the beginning of 2024, with Eddie Howe's men continuing their transformation under Saudi Arabian ownership.
The Magpies have collected just three points from their opening quartet of Premier League fixtures, however matches against Man City, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion have represented a very challenging start to the season.
Whilst the Geordies occupy 14th position in the league table, Man City are the only team to have won all four of their matches so far, however Phillips has played just six minutes of football to date.
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The midfielder earned a brief cameo in the 5-1 victory over Fulham last weekend, when a hat-trick from Erling Haaland and a promising debut for Jeremy Doku stole the headlines.
Phillips could be set for his first start of the season over the next week, having been selected by Gareth Southgate in England's squad for matches against Ukraine and Scotland.
The Three Lions have struggled with depth in defensive midfield for a number of years now, allowing the 27-year-old to remain a regular figure for his national team despite being on the fringes of first-team action at Man City.
Guardiola's side will be looking to extend their winning run at the start of the new campaign to five matches on September 16, when they travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham United in the Premier League.
Carter White
