Liverpool get ‘tempting’ Man City response after making Kalvin Phillips transfer enquiry
Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City star Kalvin Phillips before the transfer deadline.
Liverpool have received a ‘tempting’ response from Manchester City after making an enquiry for Kalvin Phillips, according to reports. The Reds are looking at more midfield options before the end of the summer transfer window and could make a move for the England international.
Liverpool have been rebuilding their entire midfielder this summer. Jurgen Klopp allowed James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to all leave at the end of their contracts in June.
He has since sold Jordan Henderson and Fabinho after big-money offers from the Saudi Pro League. Klopp has made three signings so far in this window, all of which have come in midfield.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were the first to arrive for combined fees of around £95m. Japan star Wataru Endo completed his move last week after a surprise deal was struck with Stuttgart.
But Klopp doesn’t appear to be done there and Phillips is now said to be on his radar. A report from Team Talk says Liverpool have made enquiries to City about the 27-year-old.
It is claimed that City are open to letting him leave before the September 1 deadline. Liverpool could now be tempted to make a late raid on the Etihad club.
City signed Phillips from Leeds last summer for a fee of £42m. However, he missed much of his debut campaign due to injury and was unable to break into the team when fit.
Phillips featured 21 times in all competitions for City last term, starting just twice in the Premier League. The departure of Ilkay Gundogan is unlikely to help his cause of getting more regular game time.
City have already replaced Gundogan with Mateo Kovacic. Phillips would be more suited to playing in a defensive midfield role in Pep Guardiola’s team.
However, the presence of Rodri means that is a thankless task for the Three Lions star. Phillips, whose contract doesn’t expire until 2028, has been an unused substitute in City’s first three games of the season.
Liverpool must now decide whether to make an official move for Phillips. The Reds missed out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who both chose to join Chelsea instead.
Liverpool are set to appeal the red card given to Mac Allister in Saturday’s win over Bournemouth. If unsuccessful, the Argentina star could miss the next three domestic matches.
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Liverpool’s pursuit of Manu Kone has hit a roadblock after Borussia Monchengladbach’s manager said it would take a huge price to sell him.
The German club’s boss Ronald Virkus has warned it would require an “immense offer” for the club to even consider selling the midfielder this summer. The talented 22-year-old has been a subject of speculation linking him to a move to Anfield as part of Jurgen Klopp’s rebuild.
Kone picked up a knew injury playing for France at the Under-21s European Championships in June and he is yet to resume full training. As a result, talks of a big-money switch from Borussia Park have failed to materialise, but he remains on the Reds’ radar.
In the meantime, Liverpool have strengthened their midfield with the signings Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo. In an interview with Bild (via the Liverpool Echo ), Virkus emphasised that Monchengladbach are under pressure to sell their prized asset before the September 1 deadline.
The club aim to build on last season’s 10th-place finish in the Bundesliga and see Kone as an integral part of their plans. “We don’t have to sell him,” said Virkus. “But if there is another immense offer, then we have to think about it. However, our plan is to keep Kone.
“Kone is a player who has something different, he gives you as a team a better balance in midfield. He’s coming back after the international break and he’s very important to us, a tough and intelligent footballer. We need stability in this position.”
Kone still has two years remaining on his current contract. He made 31 appearances for Monchengladbach in all competitions last season, scoring once.
Addressing Liverpool’s transfer plans last week, Klopp said: “The window is still open and until then pretty much everything can happen. On the outgoing side, nothing will happen. Incoming, there is still time so let’s have a look.”
He added: “I sit here and I’m really happy with our transfer window in the moment. I know how football fans are and I know they would prefer a £110m player, or £150m or whatever your club can do. That is nice, but in the end the pitch is the same size. The player will not grow with the price he has, it’s rather the other way around.
“We will keep watching, we will keep looking, we will try with all we have to make the best decisions for this club.”
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