£42m Leeds United transfer star to snub Newcastle United and Aston Villa interest

Kalvin Phillips is set to snub a move away from Manchester City this summer as he prepares to fight for his place under Pep Guardiola.

The England international joined the Premier League champions from Leeds United for a fee of around £42m last summer but has not been able to establish himself in Manchester.

He has played just 593 minutes of football across 21 appearances, starting only four games. He suffered an injury set back in September after undergoing shoulder surgery but recovered in time to be included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

However he was unable to force his way into the City side with Guardiola’s men already scooping the Premier League and FA Cup as they now eye the Champions League to complete the treble.

He has been linked with moves to both Newcastle United and Aston Villa amid his lack of minutes at City but The Telegraph report he is intent on remaining in Manchester and fighting for his place.

Speaking about Phillips’ struggles, Guardiola said in April: “Kalvin still needs a bit of rhythm in short spaces. We miss the best of Kalvin, it’s a reason why he doesn’t have a lot of minutes.

“I’ve rotated a lot [for semi-finals] in previous seasons and it wasn’t good. I have many doubts. Of course the players are going to say they want to play but at the same time we have to be sure that the people are in the right condition.

“We cannot complain. If you don’t want [a rest], OK get out of the competitions, you don’t have long weeks. If you want it like we have proven we want it, that is the reality. Accept it and fight for that.”

Jack Grealish struggled to adapt in his first season at City following a £100m move from Aston Villa but has become a key player in the club’s pursuit of three trophies this season.

Guardiola speaking of Phillips again last month sad: “They [the players] have to earn my confidence. All of them, not just Kalvin, all of them how they perform. Teams change a lot and players for previous seasons who were incredibly important but this season less important. It’s how they perform, many things can happen.”