According to the article, the defensive midfielder’s confidence was shattered after Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola characterized him as overweight and frequently disregarded him after joining from childhood club Leeds United for £45 million in July 2022.
Phillips, who had been on the periphery for the majority of the season at the Etihad Stadium, joined West Ham on loan last month in a deal that did not include a buy option, but his debut in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth did not go as planned, and he was dropped to the bench for recent defeats against Manchester United and Arsenal.