Manchester City midfielder issues statement amid uncertainty on future | OneFootball

Kalvin Phillips has released a statement across his social media channels as his time at Ipswich Town has come to an end.

The Manchester City midfielder is under a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium and is expected to be moved on in the summer transfer window – either on loan or on a permanent basis.

City bolstered their midfield ranks with the arrival of Nico Gonzalez in January and with Ballon d’Or holder Rodri back to full fitness following a lengthy spell on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury, Pep Guardiola is well stocked in the defensive midfield area.

AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders is a leading candidate for the summer and Manchester City are expected to ramp up their pursuit of the midfielder in the coming weeks, with Guardiola and co set to fly to the United States to begin their FIFA Club World Cup campaign in June.

Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is also a priority for Manchester City and incoming sporting director Hugo Viana is spearheading the Blues’ pursuit of the 25-year-old Englishman, who is understood to have agreed personal terms with the 2023 treble winners.

Kalvin Phillips is widely expected to seal a permanent departure from the Etihad Stadium ahead of the new season as it remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old will be part of Guardiola’s Club World Cup squad.

The former Leeds United man, who joined Manchester City three years ago, spent the second half of the 2023-24 campaign on loan at West Ham before joining Ipswich Town on a season-long loan last summer.

However, Phillips’ future remains uncertain ahead of a crossroads summer for Manchester City, who are likely to listen to offers for the out-of-favour midfielder should they receive a bid worth accepting to cash in on the Leeds-born star.

Taking to social media to reflect on a difficult season at Ipswich Town that saw Kieran McKenna’s side suffer relegation to the EFL Championship, Phillips said: “A frustrating end to a tough season. I just wanted to say thank you to Ipswich Town.

“Thank you to the fans for making me and my family feel so loved after a difficult two years. Thank you to the staff and players, an unbelievable group that I loved being around every day.

“And a special thanks to the manager; a great manager but also a great person, who helped me on and off the pitch in so many ways. He made me believe in myself again.

“I have no doubt Ipswich will be back where they belong very soon and I wish everyone at the club all the best.”