City agreed a £42m basic fee with Leeds for the England international last month, with a further £3m potentially added in bonuses. Phillips, who came through the youth ranks at Leeds, moves to the Etihad Stadium after making 235 appearances for his hometown club over the past eight seasons. Phillips said: “I am very happy to have come to Manchester City. “City have proven again that they are the best team in the country with an amazing squad and a manager in Pep Guardiola who is rightly regarded as the best in the world. “To be able to play under Pep and learn from him and his coaching staff as well as being part of such a fantastic team is a prospect I’m incredibly excited about. “City are a world-class club with world-class staff and facilities and it’s a dream come true to join the club.” Phillips is City’s fourth new arrival of the summer following the signings of Erling Haaland, Stefan Ortega Moreno and Julian Alvarez. Phillips rose to prominence as Leeds won promotion to the Premier League in 2020 and continued to establish themselves in the top flight. He then played a key role for England as they reached the final of Euro 2020 last year. City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Kalvin to Manchester City. “He is a player we have admired for a long time, and both domestically and internationally, he has shown his fantastic ability and quality in recent seasons. “We feel he will be a great addition to our team and will complement our game perfectly.” The move was also confirmed by Leeds, who thanked Phillips for his long service. A statement read: “Words cannot thank Kalvin enough for his efforts while at the club and we wish him nothing but success in the future. “Calvin inspired so many people in the city, not only for what he did on the field, but also for the work he did in the local community. “He will always be a champion at Leeds, he will be remembered for playing his part in getting the club back to where it belongs and he will always be welcome at Elland Road.” Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player New Manchester City signing Calvin Phillips has said he is looking forward to working with Pep Guardiola after previously describing himself as “fascinated” by the Spanish manager. Phillips released a further statement in which he paid tribute to Leeds, particularly managers Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch, and the fans. He described Leeds as “one of the best clubs on Earth” and that playing for them was a dream and a privilege. He wrote: “I can’t mention Leeds without mentioning one special man – Marcelo. The best manager I’ve ever met. He was a man who gave life to the club, gave the players and everyone involved the belief that we were good. enough to return to the Premier League after 16 years.” “And now to Jesse, what an incredible manager you are, but what an even better person. You came into this club and gave every player confidence and belief in a very difficult season and that kept us in the league.” Addressing the fans, he added: “I hope you understand my decision and accept that I just want to chase my dreams and test myself against and against the best teams and players on the planet. “As a little kid I had so many dreams and I still do… but playing for you was what I will never forget. You are the best fans in the world.” Leeds later announced the arrival of midfielder Darko Giabi from City for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal.
Mills: ‘Excellent’ Phillips will take time to establish himself
Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Former Leeds defender Danny Mills believes the “excellent” Phillips will take time to establish himself at Manchester City. Former Leeds and Manchester City defender Danny Mills speaking to Sky Sports News: “He’s a great player. I think he’ll go into their team, but I’ve said before that I’m not convinced he’ll start every game. You’ve got Rodri in that midfield role, it’s a very full midfield. Good. “In his first season I think he will have to get into the team and that won’t be easy. “He’ll still play 20+ games next season – a bit like Raheem Sterling did this year. You have to accept at Manchester City that you will be a team player from time to time. “I think it’s a move Phillips couldn’t refuse. He will now play Champions League football, challenging for the Premier League and other trophies. “He’s at that stage in his career where it’s an opportunity that’s probably too good to be true, so he had no choice really. As much as he loves Leeds, he had to take it.”
“Phillips could become a City legend”
Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player As Calvin Phillips completes his move to Manchester City, watch the England midfielder’s best performances for Leeds United in the Premier League. Former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford speaking to Sky Sports News: “It’s an amazing deal for someone who has come through the academy, it’s been nothing short of an incredible rise. “On the other hand, it’s disappointing from Leeds’ point of view as we don’t want to see one of our own go. He was a one-club man, who led by example with his performances. It’s a shame to see him go from the fan’s perspective, but it’s an incredible opportunity and no one would begrudge him the move. “It’s very good for City, especially with Fernandinho leaving. They’re replacing a living legend with another potential legend. I think it’s a great deal on City’s part. “I’m over the moon for him. He’s such a great guy, a great lad. All the boys will be sad to see him go.”
Life after Rafinha and Phillips: What’s next for Leeds?
Sky Sports News senior reporter Tim Thornton looks at what’s next for Leeds with stars Rafinha and Calvin Phillips set to leave the club this summer… Leeds was fully aware that these moves could happen for a while. They even knew last summer that Marcelo Bielsa could leave the club. In January, they managed to fend off interest and keep Phillips and Raphinha and have been planning ever since. They have already made three signings this summer in Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca. These players would have signed regardless, but there is money in the kitty now. We expect Leeds to move quickly and bring new players to the club: another midfielder, a winger and a striker will play alongside Patrick Bamford as Jesse Marsh likes to play two up front. Leeds paid £16m for Rafinha and will look to do the same by buying players early and developing them. This is the strategy. They won’t spend £60m to £70m on a player. They have identified targets, know who they want and will move quickly to get them. If Leeds can get three more then they can claim it’s been a good window – despite missing two huge players.
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
The Transfer Window closes at 23:00 on September 1st. Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumors on our exclusive Transfer Center blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up on the information and analysis on Sky Sports News.
Manchester City fixtures: Champions kick off at West Ham
Manchester City begin their Premier League title defense with a visit to West Ham on Sunday 7 August, with the match live on Sky Sports. The first Manchester derby of the season is at the Etihad on October 1, before City travel to title rivals Liverpool on October 15. The champions’ final game before the season takes a winter World Cup break is at home to Brentford on November 12 and when the campaign resumes they face Leeds at Elland Road on Boxing Day. City have a tough start to 2023 with tough back-to-back fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester United on January 2 and 14 respectively. As the campaign draws to a close, Pep Guardiola’s side have the second leg against Liverpool at the Etihad on April 1 and then host Chelsea on May 20, before finishing at Brentford on May 28.
