Man City star warned against ‘difficult’ transfer as Newcastle United and Juventus lurk

Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna does not believe that Kalvin Phillips should move to Juventus this month. Phillips is set to leave the Etihad Stadium in search of regular first-team football ahead of the European Championships in the summer with both Newcastle United and Juventus heavily-linked with his signature.

Sagna doesn’t believe that the former Leeds United man should move to Italy, however, claiming his game is much more suited to English football. Sagna told Lord Ping: “Juventus is one of the biggest clubs in Europe. They are an institution in football and it would be difficult for any player to turn down the opportunity to play for them.

“The Italian league is very different from England, the pace is not the same. You have a lot of quality players, but the football is very different; more tactical.

“Phillips is a typical English footballer. He likes to fight; he plays with a lot of intensity in fast-paced games. Will he be able to adapt to a different style of football? Will he enjoy a different style of football as much?

“If he went to Juventus, then it might be difficult for Kalvin Phillips to adapt. I can understand the appeal of moving to Juventus, but I’m not sure if it would be the best move for him if he wanted to hit the ground running straight away. 

“Juventus have some amazing players; they are a very good team. I think Phillips has the ability to play in Italy, but experience has shown us that not many English players leaving the Premier League and adapting well to a new league in Europe.”

Manchester City, who will face Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday evening, will reportedly demand a loan fee of around £7m to allow Phillips to leave this month. They will also seek to insert an obligation to buy clause in any deal. Financial Fair Play constraints mean that Newcastle will be forced to act carefully in the transfer market this month and could see loan moves as a cheaper way to strengthen their squad in the short-term.