£45m Arsenal target now prefers a move to a Premier League side over Euro giants

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Arsenal are targeting a midfielder in the January transfer window, and have been handed a boost if they pursue a move for Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips has found himself out of favour at Manchester City since his £45m move from Leeds United last year, and looks almost certain to depart in January.

Arsenal want to add a defensive midfielder to the squad amidst Thomas Partey’s injury problems, and Phillips has been previously linked with the club.

Should Arsenal move for him, they may find they are now in luck in terms of the player’s preference.

Kalvin Phillips’ transfer stance emerges

A report from TuttoJuve has now claimed that Phillips, who has been linked with Juventus, prefers to stay in the Premier League, with Newcastle and Arsenal his favoured destinations.

Juventus have also been linked with Partey, and given that they now appear to be unfavourable to Phillips, this could see a chain reaction of transfer moves.

However, one thing to be aware of is that Man City may not want to strengthen a potential title rival in Arsenal. Having sold Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus to Mikel Arteta last year, it emerged last year that they regret strengthening a competitor at the top and will likely refuse to sell to Arsenal again.

Should Arsenal target Kalvin Phillips?

Even aside from the problems Arsenal may face when trying to negotiate with Manchester City, Phillips is a player Arteta should avoid in this upcoming transfer window.

Partey’s main issue has been his injuries, and Phillips is a player who has spent even more time on the sidelines in the last year.

The England international has been out of fitness and form since his Leeds days, and it would resemble a big risk to bring him in and expect him to hit the ground running immediately.

When Rodri was suspended for Man City, Phillips did not deliver in his absence, and was dropped before the Spaniard returned. Given that he could not be trusted by Pep Guardiola, there is nothing to suggest that he will instantly become someone Arteta can rely upon.

Arsenal’s stance in the January window is to bring in cheaper players, as the likes of Douglas Luiz look unattainable, and an injury-prone 27-year-old in Phillips does not fit this bill.

Brazilian stars Gabriel Moscardo and Andre have been linked, and a gamble on one of these younger talents will be a smarter move than signing a player who like Partey, cannot be relied upon in terms of fitness.