Phillips is set to finalise a new loan move to Sheffield United after being left off the City squad list for the club's pre-season tour of Asia, per Daily Mail . The 30-year-old's exclusion serves as a definitive signal from the hierarchy that his future lies away from the Etihad Stadium, despite having two years remaining on his current contract. Chris Wilder, who manages the Blades, has remained a steadfast admirer of the midfielder and has moved quickly to secure his services for the upcoming campaign.
Wilder is keen to re-sign the player he brought in temporarily during the second half of last season , believing that a full pre-season and consistent minutes can restore the former England international to his best level. Phillips made just three appearances for Sheffield United during his previous stint and was sent off on his last appearance for the club in the Steel City derby win over Sheffield Wednesday.
A difficult road since Leeds exit
The move represents another attempt to kickstart a career that has stalled significantly since Phillips completed a £42 million move to City from Leeds nearly four years ago. Lack of match sharpness has been a recurring theme for the 30-year-old. His physical disadvantage compared to regular starters at City became apparent nearly every time he stepped onto the pitch. Including his various loan moves, he has made a total of 46 league appearances since joining City almost four years ago.
Wilder, speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield , remains optimistic: "He'll have a lot of people still after him. We've brought a really good pro in. He was unlucky with his injury and he's not played as much as he wanted to play.
"I spoke to him and said we'd love to be an option for you, your agent and your parent club if that is a possibility. He certainly ticks the box in terms of personality and characteristics, off the pitch and on it. If there's an opportunity I'm sure we'll try and explore that one."
While Phillips heads toward the exit, he is not the only high-profile star missing from the tour flight. Jack Grealish has also been left out of City's pre-season tour as he continues his rehabilitation and individual training programme. Grealish joined Everton on loan at the beginning of last season and his time with the Toffees got off to the perfect start as he notched two goals and six assists during the early months of the season. However, January saw the attacker suffer a stress fracture during a game against his former club Aston Villa , which required surgery. The injury marked the end of Grealish's season and effectively ended his hopes of participating in the World Cup.
He remained at the Hill Dickinson club until the end of the season to undergo his rehabilitation and has only recently returned to individual training at City. Taking to social media, he posted: "Nice to see everyone, am nearly there! Hopefully not long now till back training for good." While interest from Saudi Arabia and Everton remains on the table, a concrete decision on Grealish's future is expected to be pushed toward the end of the summer transfer window.
Uncertainty surrounds Savinho
Elsewhere in the squad, Savinho is reportedly pushing for a move to Tottenham , but City maintain that his current valuation has not been met. City have already begun scouting potential replacements, with PSG 's Ibrahim Mbaye and Chelsea 's Pedro Neto reportedly identified as potential wing additions should Savinho successfully force his way out of the club this summer.
