Fernandinho will be 37 by the time his contract expires next summer, so Manchester City need to plan for his eventual departure.
The Sky Blues eyed potential replacements for the Brazilian international but made little progress luring them to the Etihad Stadium. Links with Ismael Bennacer, Denis Zakaria, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Douglas Luiz and Mahmoud Dahoud went nowhere so City are turning their attentions elsewhere.
Fichajes say the Premier League champions are ‘lining up’ a move for Kalvin Phillips and may be able to sign him for £26m. It’s hard to see Leeds letting the 25-year-old leave for so little, but they may struggle to keep him if City are keen.
Phillips has enjoyed a sharp rise to prominence in the last 12 months, impressing in the Premier League and representing England at the 2020 European Championships, so it’s easy to see why City are taking notice.
The box-to-box player boasts more tackles (7) this season than Rodri (5) too, so he would improve the squad. Phillips’ market value is £36m, but his value to Leeds is much higher, so it remains to be seen if City can land his signature.