3 reasons why Kalvin Phillips would work at Arsenal

With the impending European Championships in the summer of 2024 held in Germany, many England internationals are hoping to book themselves on the plane but there is a question mark over some players due to a lack of first-team appearances. Two main culprits for the lack of game time issue and still being selected for the England squad are Harry Maguire of Manchester United and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips.

With Maguire just missing out on a move to West Ham United near the end of the window, it looks like Phillips could be about to end his lack of game time at Manchester City with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal despite links with Bayern Munich and Liverpool in the summer.

Kalvin Phillips needs game time after Leeds United breakthrough

The former Leeds United man broke into the England squad whilst playing in the Championship and earned a move to Manchester City on the back of a breakthrough year for his club and country. However, the move really has not worked out and recently Pep Guardiola stated that he has failed to get the best out of the 27-year-old.

Now it is the Gunners who wish to sign Phillips according to reports. Mike Arteta, who was the number two under Guardiola will be hoping that he is the man to revive Phillips and get him playing the way he did under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds.

Phillips would regularly play in the system that Arteta has created.

Linking up with Declan Rice

Arsenal did already recruit Rice in the summer for a whopping transfer fee but Arteta might be wanting a bit more grit allowing Martin Odegaard to freely be in behind the striker. Both Rice and Kalvin Phillips have linked up over the years for England and were a heavily impressive duo during the European Championships in 2020 (played in 2021).

Phillips has still been making Gareth Southgate’s England squads despite not playing regularly for City but Southgate has warned players like Phillips they will struggle to get picked on merit alone making a move to Arsenal ever more likely and please Southgate who could see his two England central midfielders play alongside one another every week.

Calm and composed character

Despite his grit and determination, Kalvin Phillips’ disciplinary record is quite good. Not since 2020 playing for Leeds United in the Championship has he received a red card and even before then he had only got two.

He is more than a tackler and can keep possession really well. With Granit Xhaka leaving the club, Phillips could easily occupy that role and be playing more often than Xhaka who had a poor disciplinary record.