With Declan Rice now completely beyond reach for Bayern Munich (and Arsenal too, funnily enough), the club is set to turn its attention to another English midfielder — 27-year-old Kalvin Phillips, who currently plays for Manchester City. According to Christian Falk, the England international is seen as an alternative to Declan Rice.
This does make a decent amount of sense, as with the signing of Rice, Phillips will find himself even lower down on Pep Guardiola’s pecking order. A move to Bayern, therefore, could entice the midfielder — especially since the club are already in talks to sign his teammate Kyle Walker.
Phillips, who moved to City from Leeds United last summer, has seen his minutes plummet since joining the English champions. He played less than 600 minutes in all competitions last season, though some of it was down to a shoulder injury that ruled him out during much of the first half of the season.
Is Phillips the defensive midfielder Bayern Munich are looking for? It’s hard to say. One thing is for certain though — Bayern seems determined to land an Englishman this summer. Whether it be Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Kyle Walker, or Kalvin Phillips — the club has NEVER been linked to this many players from the Premier League before. A sign of the times changing? The talent concentration in the EPL means that it’s really the only league with the quality to attract interest from a club like Bayern.
Now, it remains to be seen whether the club will bite. Per Falk, Phillips is only on the shortlist. How long that “short” list is will become clear in the coming weeks and months.
