Manchester City have signed Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips to a £45million ($53million) deal, the Premier League champions confirmed on Monday. City agreed to an initial fee of £42million for the England international, with a further £3million in potential bonuses. Phillips, who has signed a six-year contract with Pep Guardiola’s side, said: “I am absolutely delighted to have joined Manchester City.”
Guardiola has picked Phillips to bolster his midfield following the departure of long-serving Brazilian Fernandinho at the end of last season.
City negotiated a deal in principle to sign Phillips in June and the transfer is now officially complete.
Phillips, who made it through the Leeds academy, is moving to the Etihad Stadium after playing 235 games for his home side in the past eight seasons.
“City has once again proven to be the best team in the country with a great squad and a manager in Pep Guardiola who is rightly regarded as the best in the world,” said Phillips.
“To be able to play under Pep and learn from him and his coaching staff, and to be part of such a fantastic team, is a prospect that I am incredibly excited about.”
“City is a world class club with world class staff and facilities and it is a dream come true to be a member of the club.”
Phillips is City’s third arrival of the season following the signings of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and Arminia Bielefeld goalkeeper Stefan Ortega Moreno.
The 26-year-old has progressed through the youth ranks in Leeds and played a key role in their promotion to the Premier League two years ago.
He then established himself as an England international and played last year in the run-up to the final of the European Championship.
Following the blockbuster move for Haaland, City have once again expressed their determination to keep the Premier League title with Phillips’ deal.
Phillips’ arrival came on the day that City sold Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal, with City forward Raheem Sterling also being linked with a move to Chelsea.
“We are delighted to welcome Kalvin to Manchester City,” said City football director Txiki Begiristain.
“He is a player we have long admired and at both national and international level he has proven his fantastic skills and quality over the past few seasons.
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“We feel he will be a great addition to our squad and complement our game perfectly.”
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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