Everton told to make Kalvin Phillips transfer decision amid Manchester City ‘purgatory’
Rory Jennings has told Everton to not take a “punt” on Kalvin Phillips as the Manchester City man has been left in “purgatory” ahead of the transfer deadline.
The Toffees have been linked with a move for the England international this summer, with reports suggesting Sean Dyche’s Blues are only able to finance a potential loan deal [Alex Crook, 23 July].
Although some pundits have backed Dyche to help the midfielder rediscover his best form, talkSPORT pundit Jennings believes it is a “risk” not worth taking ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Thursday (1 August, 12:10) he said: “If he can become a utility player then good luck to him, but ultimately I cannot predict where he ends up.
“It’s a very difficult position he’s in now because teams are going to be reluctant to take a punt on him because they’ve seen how it’s gone at West Ham, but equally Manchester City are going to be reluctant to take a loss on him.
“It feels like he’s going to be stuck in limbo, he’s in the purgatory position where he’s too good for the teams, in his eyes, that would actually want to sign him but not anywhere near good enough for the team that actually owns him.
“If I were an Evertonian I would probably say no, it’s not somebody I want to take a risk on. He’s not going to be cheap, it’s going to take up a huge amount of your budget that you’re ready to spend this summer.
“If it doesn’t work, you are lumbered with a player who has cost you a lot of money, taken up a position in your squad, taken up a signing you could have possibly made that isn’t him.
“It’s a punt, do you think a club like Everton should be punting?”
Will Kalvin Phillips exit Manchester City amid Everton transfer speculation?
Everton supporters will undoubtedly be divided over this potential transfer as there are several pros and cons from both perspectives of the deal.
On the one hand, Dyche has had a history of helping players get through difficult spells of their career and should he do the same with Phillips, the Blues would be securing the signature of an excellent midfielder.
On the other, they fell into that exact trap with Dele Alli only a few January’s ago and that ultimately ended up costing them a lot of money for very little gain in a footballing sense.
Whether or not this deal goes ahead will surely entirely depend on the financial structure of any potential transfer, whether that be on a temporary or permanent basis.
If an agreement can be reached that suits the Blues and means they won’t have to pay a substantial fee if it doesn’t work out., maybe this could be a risk worth taking ahead of the new campaign.
In other Everton news, an update has emerged around Wilfried Gnonto’s future at Leeds United amid links with the Toffees
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