Kalvin Phillips admits choosing Manchester United over Manchester City was a no-go
In a recent interview as quoted by Manchester Evening News, Manchester City summer signing Kalvin Phillips says he was honoured to be on the wishlist of Manchester United but his loyalty to Leeds United prevented him from making the move to Old Trafford.
Following his great performances for Leeds and England, where he was instrumental in the Three Lions’ journey to the Euro 2020 final, Phillips emerged as a target for both Man City and Man United.
However, the Yorkshireman had little interest in joining Leeds’ bitter rivals Manchester United. He instead completed a £42 million transfer to the blue half of the city earlier this month.
When asked if there was ever a chance he may wind up at United, Phillips said he wouldn’t have gone down that path out of loyalty and respect for Leeds United, one of the Red Devils’ fiercest rivals.
“Going to United? No, there was never any chance of me going there. You know my loyalty to Leeds, my family as well, they’re all Leeds fans. I was honoured by United wanting me, such a big team. One of the biggest teams in the world, but no I had to stay loyal to Leeds and choose to go to the other side of Manchester.”
A holding midfielder was clearly needed at Old Trafford last summer, but the Manchester board chose not to fill the position. We were constantly outplayed in midfield last season, ensuring once again that we went into the summer with a defensive midfielder on the wishlist. The issue has been made worse by the fact that Nemanja Matic, our only other natural choice in the position, left the club for AS Roma.
We must thus make every effort to identify ideal targets who can advance the ball up the pitch while assisting our faltering defence. Phillips may certainly accomplish that, but it appears that he has already promised his future to our fiercest competitors, so we should be aware of his dishonesty.
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Given the Londoners’ interest in a holding midfielder, one would wonder what Declan Rice’s future holds. A young English talent who has become a star at West Ham, Rice has been linked to Chelsea and Manchester United. We’ll have to wait and watch how that plays out in the near future.
