Publicly expresses dissatisfaction with position…raises possibility of Tottenham move

Tottenham are in the running to sign Calvin Phillips, 27, who was pushed out of Manchester City to replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 28, who has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus. New Tottenham manager Johan Lange, 43, holds Phillips in high regard.

The Telegraph, a British media outlet, reported on Jan. 18 (KST) that “Tottenham’s new manager, Lange, who has been linked with Juventus and Newcastle, is a big fan of Phillips. If Javier leaves in January, Phillips could be on Spurs’ radar,” the Telegraph reported.

Phillips is currently struggling at City. He was nicknamed the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ for his long passes at Leeds United, but his career has gone downhill since joining City in the summer of 2022. Frequent injuries and an inability to fit into the tactics of Josep Guardiola (52, Spain) saw his playing time drop dramatically.

Even though City won the league, cup, and UEFA Champions League (UCL) last season, Phillips’ contribution was minimal. In 21 appearances across all competitions, he played just 593 minutes. That’s just 28.2 minutes per game, a figure that irked Guardiola. This season hasn’t been much different.

Phillips said he needed to make a change in order to qualify for UEFA Euro 2024 next year. “I know I have to play every weekend,” Phillips said after England qualified for the Euros. I will decide my future at City over the next few months. I hope the opportunity comes, but if it doesn’t, I will make a different decision.”

“As a footballer, you always want to play. I want to play as much as possible, but I haven’t been able to do that for a year and a half. I want to make sure I’m always ready for any situation. I want game time, I want to go to the Euros, we’ll see what happens.”

Phillips didn’t get his chance after Rodri, 27, was sent off against Wolverhampton and hasn’t played in three games. He was frustrated to be stuck on the bench. Recognizing his position again, Phillips’ recent performances may have prompted him to make a move. 먹튀검증

With Phillips open to a move, major European clubs are eyeing him up. In addition to Tottenham, two other clubs that have been affected by the ‘gambling scandal’ could be in the running for Phillips. Newcastle, who have lost Sandro Tonali, 23, and Juventus, who are without Nicolo Pazzagli, 22, are among Spurs’ contenders.