Man City join race for £60m Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd target as Guardiola plans exit for England star

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha if Kalvin Phillips is sold in January, according to reports.

Phillips has barely had a kick for City since joining them from Leeds United last summer so the role of being his direct replacement is not very appealing.

Rodri has proven how crucial he is to Guardiola’s system, making it very difficult for the England international to get on the pitch.

Palhinha, meanwhile, has been outstanding for Fulham since joining them in the same summer Phillips moved from Elland Road to the Etihad.

After coming very close to joining Bayern Munich in the summer, the Portuguese midfielder is likely to be the subject of interest from several clubs in January.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham have all been strongly linked with Palhinha and it would be fair to say that all four clubs could do with a defensive midfielder.

The Gunners signed Declan Rice in the summer but Thomas Partey’s injury problems are a massive concern so Mikel Arteta has reportedly made the signing of a midfielder a priority in 2024.

Liverpool simply do not have enough depth in that position. Their only natural defensive midfielders are Wataru Endo and Stefan Bajcetic, though the latter has only played twice all season due to injuries.

Premier League stats: Trippier most touches and key passes; Palhinha, Fernandes lead key metrics

Meanwhile, Manchester United are a bit rubbish and Tottenham’s squad depth is lacking, especially with Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr set to represent their countries at AFCON.

Manchester City have now reportedly joined the race to sign Palhinha but are unlikely to bid for him unless Phillips leaves the club in the winter transfer window.

According to The Sun, they could sign Palhinha before offloading Phillips, but if the former joins, they will look to get rid of the latter.

Bayern and Liverpool are instantly namedropped in the report but it is said that Guardiola ‘is an admirer’.

After being ‘determined to stay and fight for his place at the Etihad’, Phillips is now resigned to the fact he needs to be playing regularly ahead of Euro 2024, even if Gareth Southgate is still calling him up despite his lack of minutes for City.

Another name on Guardiola’s list is Fluminese’s Andre, who has also been linked with Fulham, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Marco Silva’s side have previously shown an interest in signing Phillips and could reignite their interest if Palhinha departs in January.

The 28-year-old Portuguese has racked up 56 appearances for the Cottagers since joining from Sporting for around £17m last summer.

He is reportedly valued at £60m and having accepted a bid in that region in the summer transfer window, Fulham appear to be open to selling their star player.

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