Everton have made contact with those close to Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips to explore a possible summer move, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT.
The Toffees have set their sights on the England international and are “well informed” about his situation in Manchester, with the 28-year-old expected to leave Man City after struggling for playing time under Pep Guardiola last season, which led to him sealing a short loan to West Ham United.
According to Romano, several clubs have already expressed their interest in acquiring the holding midfielder, but no side has yet advanced towards signing him as the window enters its final fortnight.
With four new arrivals on board, Everton have had a busy summer so far. Jake O’Brien, Tim Iroegbunam, Jesper Lindstrom and Iliman Ndiaye have joined, while Amadou Onana, Ben Godfrey and Lewis Dobbin have departed and the club have been able to keep hold of key defender Jarrad Branthwaite too.
Further movement at Goodison Park is expected before the transfer window closes on 30 August, with Barcelona’s Vitor Roque among potential arrivals after a bid was rejected for the young Brazilian.
“Everton have an interest in Kalvin Phillips, not only Everton, but Everton are well informed on the situation.
“They have already made some contact with people close to the player to be aware of the situation around Kalvin Phillips, I still expect him to leave Manchester City if they receive a good proposal.
“So that’s the idea. Everton have an interest, but still nothing advanced or close to being completed, because in this moment, it’s still early stages of the story.”
Phillips is understood to be keen for a fresh start after two disappointing seasons following a £42m move to City from Leeds United in 2022.
Despite signing a six-year contract with the Premier League champions 24 months ago, the 28-year-old is now allowed to depart after struggling to impress Pep Guardiola and battle for a starting spot with his direct competitor Rodri.
Since joining two seasons ago, Phillips has made just 31 appearances for City across all competitions, scoring a single goal in just 914 minutes of action.
An underwhelming six-month spell at West Ham has not helped the Englishman’s stock either. Phillips made just three starts under David Moyes last season and struggled for fitness before returning for pre-season with Man City.