Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has an issue of trust with one first-team player who could now exit the club in January, according to a report.
Manchester City updates: Liverpool clash twist, Kroos on radar, Vermeeren latest
As per The Daily Mail, Manchester City's upcoming Premier League clash against Liverpool on November 25th has been moved from a 5:30 pm start to a 12:30 pm kick-off due to potential fan trouble at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal were originally scheduled to face Brentford at 12:30 pm; however, both fixtures will now effectively swap times and prevent the chances of trouble in and around the ground between rival supporters.
In a shock Manchester City transfer update emerging out of Spain, Real Madrid veteran Toni Kroos is believed to be a target for the Citizens once his contract expires at the Santiago Bernabeu next summer.
The report states that the Germany international could receive around double his wages at Manchester City if he was to move to England in 2024. During the summer transfer window, Kroos rejected advances from the Saudi Pro League and Major League Soccer to pen a 12-month extension to his deal at La Liga giants Real Madrid. Nevertheless, Guardiola and his recruitment team are now said to be leading the chase for the former Bayern Munich star.
Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren is claimed to be attracting attention from Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur alongside a host of clubs in mainland Europe as he continues to make waves in his homeland this campaign.
Manchester City top scorers 2023/24
Player
Appearances
Goals
Erling Haaland
12
8
Julian Alvarez
13
6
Rodri
10
3
Jeremy Doku
8
2
Phil Foden
8
2
Manchester City transfer news – Kalvin Phillips potential exit
According to a Manchester City transfer update on Kalvin Phillips from Football Insider, it is believed that the England international is likely to leave the Etihad Stadium in 2024 after falling out of favour under Citizens boss Guardiola this term. The report states that Phillips now finds himself essentially frozen out at Manchester City due to the summer arrivals of Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes.
Guardiola left Phillips out of his side's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend at the Emirates Stadium, instead opting to utilise Rico Lewis and Bernardo Silva in a double pivot, which the outlet indicates is a sign that the former Barcelona boss doesn't trust Phillips to perform and could now pave the way for his eventual departure.
Since joining Manchester City from Leeds United for a fee in the region of £43 million in 2022, Phillips has gone on to make just 26 appearances in total for his current employers and is yet to register a single goal or assist (Phillips statistics – Transfermarkt).
Despite being hailed as "superb" by Barcelona manager Xavi back in 2021, it is hard to see a way back for Phillips at the Etihad and he may now have to seek a new challenge in the near future to avoid a prolonged career stagnation.