Is Kalvin Phillips right for Spurs?

Tottenham have been linked with a number of midfielders ahead of the January transfer window, and Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips is one of them.

Phillips, who joined City ahead of the 22/23 campaign, has had a sour tenure to say the least.

Despite technically winning the treble, he’s barely seen game time, starting only four matches last season. This summer he stated he was happy to stay at the club, however, recent reports suggest that he now favors a move in the upcoming window.

Spurs have been looking to strengthen their squad in all areas of the pitch, and with midfielder Pierre Hojbjerg linked with an exit very soon, it could be the perfect time to pick up some new talent.

An extremely defensive player, Phillips holds the middle of the pitch well, reacting quickly in order to close space and take advantage of mistakes made by the opposition.

On the ball, however, his style of play doesn’t exactly mirror Ange’s and that of current CDM favorite Yves Bissouma, who carries lots of technical ability and can ping the ball quickly in tight areas.

Phillips, on the other hand, specializes in picking out long passes, switching the play, and shielding off defenders for hold-up play.

Despite these misalignments, he still could make an impact in North London. Spurs will be receiving an attacking boost in the midfield with the return of Rodrigo Bentancur in the coming months, and as such a defensive signing might make more sense.

With the way Bissouma is currently playing, it’s likely Phillips’ role would be as a second half substitute to add defensive support.

Sold to City for £45m, it’s likely his asking price will be much lower with the lack of minutes he’s been getting, meaning Levy may be more willing to give incoming Technical Director Johan Lange the green light on the transfer.

Lange, arriving at his new post at the start of next month, is supposedly a fan of the player. He’ll be competing with other clubs like Bayern Munich to get the signing done, but his interest and Spurs’ willingness to spend a little more than Bayern could be the deciding factor.