Klopp gets support to complete unlikely transfer for Man City star Phillips
Steve McManaman has urged Jurgen Klopp to try and prise Kalvin Phillips away from Manchester City if Liverpool lose the services of Fabinho in the coming weeks.
Fabinho, 29, is the latest Premier League player to be courted by a Saudi Arabian team with Al-Ittihad ready to offer the Brazilian midfielder a lucrative financial package in order to join them in the Middle East.
Reds captain Jordan Henderson is also expected to move to the Saudi Pro League after he was left out of the Liverpool squad for Wednesday's pre-season friendly against Karlsruher amid transfer talks with Al-Ettifaq - meaning Klopp could be left desperately short on midfielders for the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
If Fabinho does depart before the Reds' season opener against Chelsea, then McManaman has insisted that Phillips - who has struggled for regular first-team action since joining the champions last summer - would be an ideal replacement.
The former Liverpool winger told Betfred: "If Liverpool lose Fabinho, then I believe that Kalvin’s name would come into the mix. He’s English, he’s an England international, he plays in that role and I don’t believe that Manchester City would expect a club to break the bank for him.
Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush
"There may be a deal there to pursue and if Jurgen Klopp is to lose a defensive midfielder this summer, then a move for Kalvin could certainly be an option, but it all depends on whether Manchester City would be willing to let him go to a Premier League rival."
Join the debate! Do you think Phillips would be a good replacement for Fabinho? Let us know here.
Steve McManaman believes Liverpool should target Kalvin Phillips if they lose Fabinho this summer (Getty Images)While it remains to be seen if Pep Guardiola and the City hierarchy would be willing to sell Phillips to a team who have rivalled them for the title in the past, the champions have signed Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.
And McManaman believes that making a move for Phillips would still be worthwhile on the off chance that Manchester City would be open to moving the England ace on in a bid to recoup the £45million fee they shelled out to acquire him last summer.
He added: "Manchester City have brought in Mateo Kovacic after losing Ilkay Gundogan, so they still have a similar nucleus of players that were there last season, so it’s still up in the air, but a move for Kalvin could easily happen as he fits the profile of what Liverpool would need if Fabinho leaves.
"He likes to work hard, he wants to prove a point, but it all depends on whether Pep Guardiola would be willing to let him join a rival and whether Kalvin would want to leave Manchester City after they’ve just won the treble."
Mirror Football is now on Threads! You can follow us here
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
