Kalvin Phillips suffers major setback in hopes of leaving Man City - Fabrizio Romano

Cameron Smith

• 7 Jan 2024 09:50 CST
• 3 min read

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips remains a transfer target for Newcastle United, but Juventus have withdrawn their name from contention, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The England international is set to leave Pep Guardiola’s side during the January window following his limited involvement since his €49 million move from Leeds United in 2022.

However, Serie A giants Juve have reportedly decided against continuing their pursuit of Phillips after discussing a possible deal with Man City.

That is according to Romano, who posted on X: “Juventus have no intention to proceed for Kalvin Phillips deal at current conditions after talks with Man City on loan fee/salary coverage.

“Newcastle remain interested in Kalvin Phillips, race open to more clubs.

“Juventus’ priority is now Tiago Djaló as new centre back.”

Massimiliano Allegri’s team are currently second in the Italian top flight table, five points behind league leaders Inter Milan with a game in hand.

They have lost just one league game all season (vs Sassuolo) and beat Salernitana 6-1 in the Coppa Italia last-16 on Thursday.

Despite their impressive start to the campaign, Juventus are still looking for reinforcements in January and midfield has been identified as an area for improvement, especially considering Adrien Rabiot could leave the club upon his contract expiry at the end of June.

However, signing Phillips is now seen as unlikely.

Kalvin Phillips to leave Man City?

Phillips’ move from Leeds to Man City has failed spectacularly, with the Englishman racking up just 318 minutes of action in all competitions this campaign.

He has only started two Premier League games for Guardiola’s side, while he has been an unused substitute 30 times in the English top flight since he left Elland Road.

As a result, he is seeking a January move away and following Juventus’ withdrawal, Newcastle is now Phillips’ most likely destination.