Kalvin Phillips given get-out-of-jail free card by Premier League club on one condition | OneFootball

Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips’ chances of joining Wolves in January hinge of one key condition, as per a new report.

The 30-year-old has endured what can only be described as a torrid time since his big-money move to the Etihad Stadium from boyhood club Leeds United in the summer of 2022. Phillips was signed by Pep Guardiola as backup to Rodri but was unable to fulfil owing to injury problems and the Ballon d’Or winner from Spain taking his game to the next level.

In his inaugural campaign in Manchester, Phillips made just 12 Premier League appearances, totalling a mere 291 minutes. The England international also looked decidedly unspectacular when he was given opportunities in cup competitions.

He notoriously put in a poor performance in his first start for Manchester City against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, just weeks after Guardiola criticised his fitness after returning from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The first half of the 2023-24 season went similarly poorly for the midfielder, who was cast out of Guardiola’s plans and sent on loan to West Ham in January 2024. Phillips’s lack of minutes over the preceding 18 months was evident as he was at fault for a couple of goals before being dropped from the east London outfit’s starting XI.

Kieran McKenna and Ipswich Town offered Phillips another lifeline last season. He amassed the most appearances he has managed in a single season since leaving Leeds United – but failed to earn a permanent move as the Tractor Boys were relegated after a single season in the English top-flight.

Many thought a return to boyhood club Leeds would be on the cards last summer following the Whites’ return to the Premier League. However, a move of any sort failed to materialise for Phillips as he was nursing yet another injury.

As reported by Joe Donnohue writing for Four Four Two, Phillips is still keen on a return to Elland Road this January, though Daniel Farke is seemingly happy with his midfield options, having signed Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff in the summer.

Instead, it looks as if Phillips will have one final Premier League lifeline thrown to him by Wolves as the 30-year-old looks to revitalise his career after making what he would deem a regrettable decision to join Manchester City from Leeds in 2022. However, Phillips will need to prove his fitness before a prospective switch to the Molineux Stadium.

After an awful first half of the 2025-26 season, Wolves are all but relegated but manager Rob Edwards is still looking to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window. Edwards is understood to be keen on signing Phillips on loan to add some steel to his midfield, with Jhon Arias recently used as a makeshift central midfielder.

The emergence of Matheus Mane as a bona fide option in Wolves’ first-team ranks may mean that this move takes a while to materialise, but it is likely the last chance Phillips gets to prove himself in the Premier League.

Phillips is under contract at the Etihad Stadium till 2028 and Manchester City sporting director Hugo Viana will surely look to move his salary off the wage bill and recoup what little money he can for the Blues’ forgotten man. Good performances over the next six months could therefore be of mutual benefit to City and Phillips.