Jason Cundy believes that Kalvin Phillips has little intention of returning to Leeds United amidst his struggles at Manchester City. The 27-year-old, who made the move from Leeds United to Manchester City under Pep Guardiola in 2022, has seen limited playing time, accumulating less than 700 minutes on the field.
This situation took a further downturn on Sunday when Kalvin Phillips witnessed Bernardo Silva, Rico Lewis, and John Stones being utilized as the number six position in the absence of the suspended Rodri when facing Arsenal. While there have been calls for the English midfielder to consider leaving in January, the notion of a possible return to Leeds United has surfaced. Nevertheless, Jason Cundy is of the opinion that Phillips wouldn’t want to drop down to the Championship, as he expressed during an interview with talkSPORT.
Had Leeds United still been a Premier League team, a loan move back to his initial club might have been a sensible choice for the Elland Road favorite. However, with Euro 2024 on the horizon, Kalvin Phillips cannot afford to risk descending to a lower division, even though Gareth Southgate sometimes selects players with limited playing time.
Regarding the potential return to Leeds, Jason Cundy remarked, “I don’t think he has any desire to go back there. The main reason is his participation in the Euros. He’s barely making it into the England squad as it is and can’t secure a spot at Manchester City. If he were to move down to the Championship, it’s uncertain whether it would benefit his situation.”
Despite the strong performance of James Ward-Prowse, Southgate has consistently chosen Phillips for the England squad. Nevertheless, it’s becoming increasingly evident that Phillips is fortunate to be included in the squad, and this trend may not continue if his circumstances at the club don’t improve.