Guardiola's private conversation with 'world's best boss' as City sanction deal

Kalvin Phillips' time at Manchester City hasn't panned out how Pep Guardiola hoped when he first spoke to Marcelo Bielsa about him.

The 31-cap England international has fallen out of favour for both club and country since joining City in a £42million move from Leeds United in 2022. After a largely unsuccessful stint at West Ham for the second half of last season, Phillips will look to get his career back on track at Ipswich Town - who are closing in on his loan signing.

His talent has been clear to see - although one man envisioned it before most. Bielsa earmarked him to Guardiola, who'd previously sought the highly-respected Argentine's advice before getting into management, after taking charge of Leeds in 2018.

“Marcelo spoke about him three or four years ago in the first or second season he was at Leeds,” Guardiola revealed after Phillips' arrival at the Etihad. "He spoke about him in the Championship, and this was the first time I realised ‘OK, Kalvin Phillips is playing for Leeds'.

“He spoke with me and said he was a guy who is really, really good and maybe one day - not now for Manchester City - but one day he could play in a top team. And after he proved that Marcelo was not wrong again."

Guardiola's admiration for Bielsa clearly played some part in the decision to sign Phillips. He's sung his praises on multiple occasions - going so far as to hail him as the best coach in the world.

"It is important for me to say this about Marcelo because it doesn't matter how many titles he had in his career," the Spaniard said in 2017. "We are judged by that – how much success we have, how many titles we have won.

"But that is much less influential than how he has influenced football and his football players. That is why, for me, he is the best coach in the world."

While he trusted Bielsa's opinion of Phillips, Guardiola also made clear his belief in the midfielder's abilities. After Phillips' injury-hit start to life in Manchester, he argued: “In the quality of long balls, Kalvin is better than Rodri. In shorter spaces and first actions, Rodri is better.

“Everyone has their own quality, but they can play together – especially when you have two holding midfielders. He understands where the ball is coming, he is strong in the air and has the quality to break lines to wingers and inside.

“He has to improve the reception from central defenders, but this is a question of time. At Leeds he moved the lateral way, but he has the ability to do it.

“He had the mentality to train with Marcelo Bielsa with the resilience and fight. I believed he could settle with us, and I am convinced it is going to happen."

If the lack of an option to buy in the loan to Ipswich wasn't evidence enough, this shows Phillips' latest exit doesn't spell the end of his time at City, but is rather another attempt to get him back up to speed to compete in their squad.