Kalvin Phillips will have one goal in mind next season: to stay healthy and productive for an extended length of time.

The 30-year-old has been at Manchester City for four years after moving from Leeds United for £42 million. His value was as high as it had ever been at the time, but since then, he has played only 67 games, an average of just over 16 per season.

Phillips played only 20 games in his final Premier League season at Elland Road due to injury, and his lack of playing time in the City squad meant that, when he did play, he battled to stay healthy.

The midfielder is clearly capable of being productive when given extended periods of playing time, but a combination of not being favoured and being suspended has resulted in three loan spells away from City in the last two and a half years that have had little impact.

Kalvin Phillips opens up about injury frustration as talks regarding a return to Sheffield United advance.

The most recent loan spell was at Sheffield United in January, following a first-half season in which he made only one seven-minute appearance for Manchester City in the EFL Cup against Huddersfield Town.

City manager Pep Guardiola explained that he was dealing with injuries at the time, but it was evident that he was not in the Spaniard’s plans. There was anticipation that returning to the Championship would at least get him back on track and demonstrate that he still possesses top-tier abilities.

Unfortunately, the loan only lasted three games. In the third, he was sent off in the Steel City derby against Sheffield Wednesday in February and did not return when his suspension expired due to a knee injury. Nevertheless, Blades manager Chris Wilder has stated a desire to bring him back to Bramall Lane this summer.

Those discussions are already advanced, according to Pete O’Rourke’s report on Wednesday, and Phillips is hoping that a full pre-season will help him find some fitness ahead of what should be a successful season for him.

Phillips stated in an interview with the Yorkshire Evening Post, as reported by the Sheffield Star, that his tenure at Sheffield United was satisfactory for all two games.I received an injury that sidelined me for the remainder of the season. And that has been the issue for me over the previous three years of not playing frequently. It has caused me to sustain additional injuries.

“So I’m looking forward to hopefully having a good season, actually.”

At his peak, Phillips was regarded as one of the best English defensive midfielders in the world, winning the Three Lions’ Player of the Year award in the campaign that resulted in a second-place finish in Euro 2021.

That seems a long time ago now, and Phillips will be aiming to replicate some of that magic in 2026/27, possibly returning to Sheffield United for the entire season.

How Sheffield United fans responded to the Blades and Kalvin Phillips’ advanced talks

With Phillips’ injury history well known, some Blades fans would prefer to avoid the 30-year-old moving into next season and recruit someone they know will play a significant role for them as they look to put last year’s failure behind them.

However, a fully fit Phillips is expected to be one of the division’s best midfielders. Indeed, the Star reports that Sheffield United believe he has a bigger ceiling than Jairo Riedewald, who was unexpectedly not offered a contract renewal this summer.

The decision to potentially bring the 30-year-old back to Bramall Lane has divided opinions among Sheffield United fans.”I’m satisfied with that,” one Blade stated in response to Pete O’Rourke’s update. “Good news, assuming he’s fully fit and we’ve had the opportunity to look at him last season,” another replied.

In contrast, one fan despised the idea, saying, “Excellent. One space squandered, and it’s not even July yet,” while another added, “Either injured or suspended. “A typical United signing.”

Clearly, Phillips has a lot of critics to prove wrong next season, both from a neutral position and within the fanbase of the club to which he may return.