We can remember that one Kieran.

From memory he was brought it to try and help the club dominate matches in Europe but it felt like a signing that wasn't really needed given Manchester United' had the likes of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt in midfield.

Image source, Getty Images

Now if we're not expecting anything concrete to come from that, we are anticipating that Kalvin Phillips' loan move from Manchester City to West Ham will be announced this morning.

While the England midfielder collected Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League winners medals last season and was involved as City won the Club World Cup in December, his playing time has been limited to put it mildly.

David Moyes will almost certainly be delighted mind. A fresh, fit, international standard player coming into a squad weakened by a succession of injuries, is just the sort of January deal that could help propel the sixth-placed Hammers to even greater heights.

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards spoke to the Transfer Gossip Daily podcast about Chelsea's interest in Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran: "You've got a player who's 20 years old. He wants to be playing more regularly, take on a bit more of a key role.

"I think he [Unai Emery] said he's injured. Now that's either a manager dropping a little bit of a classic case of deception and there is a chance of him leaving, or he's genuinely injured. I would tend to think he's probably genuinely injured.

"So that transfer doesn't look like it's going to get off the ground."

Listen to the full episode here

BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Miguel Almiron has recently been linked with Saudi Arabian club Al Shabab, after Newcastle United made it clear their need to sell members of their squad to buy new players due to the restrictions of Financial Fair Play.

On Total Sport Newcastle, the podcast discussed the Paraguayan's future.

Listen to the full episode via BBC Sounds.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

In the end, maybe Kalvin Phillips' misfortune at Manchester City boiled down to two simple facts - he is not Rodri and he plays in the same position as Pep Guardiola did.

City spent £45m to sign Phillips on a six-year deal from Leeds just 18 months ago but the midfielder is now on the brink of joining West Ham on loan for the rest of the season.

As has been the case periodically during that time, Guardiola was asked for the specific flaw that has condemned Phillips - one of the standout performers in England's run to the Euro 2020 final and still a part of Gareth Southgate's squad - to just two Premier League starts out of a potential 58.

Typically, Guardiola avoided a direct answer and turned the question on himself.

"I have to be here to help the players develop and be better players and suit what we want to do and I was not able to do it," he said.

"The quality is there. That's why he's in the national team. Look what he's done at Leeds. I regret more myself than Kalvin."

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As Mike says in the previous post, Kalvin Phillips looked a great acquisition by Manchester City when they signed him from Leeds in the summer of 2022.

But he's struggled on multiple fronts and clearly wasn't fancied by manager Pep Guardiola.

But which players have your club signed that have arrived with stellar reputations but sadly failed to live up to expectations?

Mike Minay
BBC Radio Manchester

Image source, BBC Sport

In the summer of 2022 when Manchester City signed Kalvin Phillips, I don't think there were many who shunned the move.

Some £45m for a strong midfielder who had excelled under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds and an understudy to Rodri who, after the departure of Fernandinho, would need that back-up and competition.

But we never saw that player. Within weeks, he was injured with his shoulder and from there he never recovered. Yes, he would in terms of injury, but not in terms of stature at the club.

Last season, only three players played fewer minutes than Phillips (291) for the Blues in the Premier League. Stefan Ortega, who only finished 21 minutes behind Phillips and would consider that fine considering he is the league number two to Ederson, academy graduate Shea Charles, who got minutes in the final game when the title was all sewn up, and Maximo Perrone, who arrived in January and we were told that he would not play at all (he managed 18 minutes).

So, why? After the shoulder injury effectively wiped out the first half of the season, the second half was full of big games when ultimately only one player was getting the shout in central midfield - Rodri.

As you've probably picked up on in today's newspapers, Pep Guardiola was on fine form in his media briefing on Thursday.

He gave a typically staunch defence of his club when 115 Financial Fair Play charges and some comments by Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin were put to him.

The Spaniard suggested that Ceferin should "respect the procedure" after the Slovenian recently told the Telegraph, external that Uefa "were right" to give City a two-year European football ban in 2020.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the punishment on appeal.

City are also contesting claims by the Premier League that the club have broken their financial rules.

The I

The i paper also lead on Pep Guardiola.

Image source, i paper

The Daily Express

More of the same from the Daily Express.

Image source, Daily Express

The Daily Star

More from Pep Guardiola and Mark Robins on the back page of the Daily Star as well as a line from Newport boss Graham Coughlan.

Image source, Daily Star

The Daily Mail

The Daily Mail feature a story around the Football Association launching its own investigation into the circumstances leading up to the death of Sheffield United's Maddy Cusack.

You can also read more about that here.

Image source, Daily Mail

The Daily Telegraph

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola makes the front of the Daily Telegraph's sport section.

Image source, Daily Telegraph

Daily Mirror

The Daily Mirror carry stories from both Manchester clubs and Coventry City boss Mark Robins on their back page.

Image source, Daily Mirror

Right let's have a quick look at what's on the back pages of the national newspapers this morning...

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

Prolific Manchester City striker Erling Haaland did suffer a fracture to his foot against Aston Villa last month.

Haaland has not featured since the 6 December defeat at Villa Park but manager Pep Guardiola is hopeful the Norwegian will be fit for next Wednesday's Premier League encounter with Burnley.

"We thought it was a bit less but in the end it was a little bit of a fracture of the bone," he revealed.

"When you have this injury it’s a question of time, six to eight weeks.

"It is not about how much you work or whether you go to Abu Dhabi or not. The bone needs time to close, to make his procedure and now it’s at the end.

"We’ll give him three or four days and hopefully against Burnley he can play his first minutes."

Image source, BBC Sport

One move we are expecting to see completed today albeit, it is expected to only be a six-month loan move, is Kalvin Phillips going from Manchester City to West Ham.

The England midfielder has barely started a game since joining Pep Guardiola's side from Leeds for £45m in July 2022.

And when we asked you what you thought of his imminent loan move here are some of your responses:

James:As a West Ham fan, we are buzzing with this deal. Low risk for us, especially if correct about the option to buy in the summer, which avoids the Lingard situation from a few years ago. Nobody seriously describes us as rivals to City, but credit to them being open to selling/loaning to strengthen other teams in the league. A great move for player and clubs.

Phillip:Great for Phillips to get some game time, great player and West Ham are decent side.

Ahmed:Good for Phillips. The the deal should have been permanent and I think it is good for the guy. It should work out his way out and he will leave City. Guardiola isn't ready to work with him.

Ross:Imagine spending £45m on a player and then not using him. Was that decision to buy made just to prevent others buying and playing him? This is not financial fair play at all.

Matt: Glad Phillips is going as it was a poor signing - he isn't the standard needed and Pep didn't give him minutes because of that. City need to learn from poor signings in recent seasons - don't buy English! Phillips and Grealish - two mega expensive flops. Alvarez on the other hand...

Remember you can check out January's significant signings and departures in the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, EFL and Women's Super League on our done deals page.