Serie A giants Juventus have reportedly opened discussions with Manchester City over the possibility of taking Kalvin Phillips on loan for the second half of the season.
The England international has spent the last year-and-a-half on the fringes of Pep Guardiola's setup since joining the Premier League champions in a €49m (£42.2m) transaction from Leeds United in 2022.
The imperious form of Rodri has made it difficult for Phillips to earn a look-in at Man City, where Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva, Rico Lewis and Kevin De Bruyne are also vying for midfield minutes.
The 28-year-old has featured just nine times for the treble winners in the ongoing campaign and is yet to start a Premier League game in 2023-24, making just four substitute appearances totalling 89 minutes.
Phillips scored his first goal for the club from the penalty spot in last week's 3-2 Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade, but that was only his second start of the season, having also featured from the off in an EFL Cup defeat to Newcastle United.
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Man City handed Phillips a lucrative six-year contract upon his arrival at the Etihad, meaning that he is not due to become a free agent until 2028, but all parties are working on an exit at the earliest opportunity.
Juventus have long been linked with a swoop for the ex-Leeds lynchpin, while Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also said to have been alerted to his availability.
Aiming to steal a march on their English rivals in the race, talkSPORT reports that Juventus have now made contact with Man City and are discussing a temporary deal for the out-of-favour Phillips next month.
The Bianconeri have lost two midfielders to off-field demeanours this season, as Nicolo Fagioli is serving a seven-month ban for illegal gambling, while Paul Pogba is still waiting to learn of his doping punishment, which could be as severe as a four-year suspension.
The report adds that the England international would be open to leaving his homeland to try his hand at Serie A football, although disagreements over a permanent transfer clause could potentially put a deal at risk.
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The Citizens are also believed to be keen to sign a new midfielder over the winter if Phillips does head to Turin, with Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich and Fulham's Joao Palhinha both being targeted.
Bayern came close to poaching Palhinha from Fulham in the summer, only for a move to collapse with hours of the window remaining due to the Cottagers' failure to bring in a replacement for the Portugal international.
However, the German champions have not thrown in the towel and intend to reignite their pursuit of Palhinha in 2024, which could potentially open the door for Kimmich to join City.
Phillips has just the one goal and no assists to show from 30 appearances for Guardiola's side and was an unused substitute in Saturday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Crystal Palace, where the Citizens let a two-goal lead slip in front of their own fans.
The treble winners have now arrived in Saudi Arabia for their debut Club World Cup campaign, where they will meet Urawa Red Diamonds in Tuesday's semi-final before taking on Fluminense or Al Ahly in the final or third-placed playoff.
Ben Knapton
