During his decade-long spell as Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola made some extraordinary signings. But one decision in the summer of 2022 may well go down as the most costly error of his entire managerial career in England.

It’s easy to forget, given everything that’s followed, just how good Guardiola’s transfer record at the Etihad was. When he arrived in 2016, he inherited a squad already packed with world-class talent. David Silva was pulling the strings, Sergio Aguero was scoring for fun, and Yaya Toure was bossing the midfield.

But rather than rest on those foundations, he kept building. The now-departed Bernardo Silva showed up in 2018, Rodri arrived and won a Ballon d’Or five years later, and Erling Haaland broke the all-time Premier League scoring record in his first season.

Which is why what happened four years ago still stings. Faced with a choice between two midfielders, he backed the wrong horse, with both players having polar-opposite careers since.

Why Guardiola Chose Kalvin Phillips Over Declan Rice

According to The Telegraph, the decision came down to a straight choice in the summer of 2022: Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips or West Ham’s Declan Rice. Guardiola went with Phillips, convinced that his passing range and scanning abilities made him the better fit for City’s system.

And you could see his thinking at the time. ‘The Yorkshire Pirlo’ had been exceptional in England’s run to the Euro 2020 (2021) final, and his ability to read the game and recycle possession had drawn admiring glances from all over Europe. For a manager as detail-obsessed as Guardiola, those qualities would’ve mattered most.

The problem, in hindsight, was that so much of what made Phillips effective was tied to the specific environment Marcelo Bielsa had built around him at Leeds. Take him out of that situation and drop him into the relentless demands of a Guardiola side, and the fit wasn’t right. His game was fundamentally defensive, with little of the forward-carrying ability that City’s midfield required.

Rice, by contrast, had everything. The engine, the aggression, the technical quality, and the capacity to influence games in both directions.

To his credit, Guardiola seemed to clock the mistake fairly quickly. City made a genuine attempt to sign Rice the following summer, only for Arsenal to win the race, securing the West Ham skipper for £100 million.

Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips Have Gone in Very Different Directions

The four years since have told the story pretty bluntly. Phillips has managed just 32 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City. He’s been sent out on loan three times in three seasons, first to West Ham and then Ipswich, with both being spells as bad as the other, and now Sheffield United in the Championship.

The Blades are said to be keen on making the arrangement permanent, though. But with his contract not expiring until 2028, a free transfer to Bramall Lane might be out of the question for a player who cost City £42 million.

Rice’s story reads very differently. The move to Arsenal transformed him from a very good player into an elite one, and many would say he’s one of the best midfielders in the world and a future England captain. This season, the 27-year-old led Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years, and made it all the way to the Champions League final. He’s exactly the kind of player City would love to have right now, especially with Rodri’s recent fitness issues.

As it happens, City are in the market for midfield reinforcements, with a move for Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson said to be in the works. City will likely have to break the British transfer record set by Arsenal for Rice to secure it.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a major boost for the summer transfer window after it emerged that Joao Palhinha has made joining them his priority, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Spurs have already agreed deals to sign Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi this summer on a free transfer, with Roberto De Zerbi desperate to add some leadership and quality to his squad after narrowly avoiding relegation.

But the Italian is also looking to keep several key stars with his squad to keep some stability and continuity, and that includes Palhinha.

Palhinha Gives Tottenham Priority for Transfer

Palhinha, who has been described as ‘world-class’, spent last season with Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich, and scored vital goals to keep the club in the Premier League, including the winner on the final day of the season against Everton.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Portugal international is set to leave Bayern permanently this summer, with terms agreed over a deal to see him return to Sporting CP, while they continue to negotiate with the Bundesliga club.

But Romano now reports that the 30-year-old midfielder is giving Tottenham his priority ahead of a potential return to the club, as he has a fantastic relationship with De Zerbi.

Spurs are yet to make a final decision on whether they want to keep him at the club permanently, despite the manager confirming that he is a big fan of the player. Should they opt to trigger their buy option, or find an agreement with Bayern, then the player will stay in north London.

However, if they decide against it, then Sporting CP are ready to make their interest concrete and take him back to Lisbon.

Tottenham Should Keep Palhinha Around

Spurs are planning for a very busy, and important summer transfer window. But while there may well be big changes on the horizon, De Zerbi will be aware that wholesale changes are not necessarily a good thing.

Palhinha has experience at the highest level, is in the prime of his career and clearly cares about the club and where they want to be. That’s the type of character De Zerbi needs in his squad if he wants to take them back up the table and playing European football.

A deal is there to be done, with all parties clearly interested in making it happen. So if it doesn’t, then the only people to blame will be the Lewis Family.

Aston Villa are eyeing up a summer move to add FC Barcelona star Ferran Torres to their squad, according to TEAMtalk.

Unai Emery’s side claimed a spot in the Champions League for next season after finishing fourth in the Premier League, while the team also ended a 30-year trophy drought by defeating SC Freiburg in the Europa League final.

Now the club are keen to strengthen their squad further and ensure they are capable of competing at the highest level once again, and a new forward is being eyed up to add more firepower to the side.

Aston Villa Eyeing Torres Deal

Torres, who has been described as a ‘killer in the box’, has just enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career at the Camp Nou, netting 21 goals and registering three assists as he helped the club to a second consecutive La Liga title.

The Spain international is now entering the final 12 months of his contract with the club, and while Barcelona are considering offering him a new deal, the player is understood to be ready to move unless he receives assurances over his playing time.

Barcelona have already completed a £70m deal for winger Anthony Gordon this summer, while they are also keen on deals for Julian Alvarez and Marcus Rashford. Despite allowing Robert Lewandowski to depart at the end of his contract, should those deals be completed, it raises questions about where in the pecking order Torres would be.

As a result, Aston Villa are among the clubs showing a strong interest in the Spain international, with Emery understood to be a huge fan of the player and his ability to play across the front line.

It’s unclear how much he could cost, but Barcelona could look to cash in on Torres to help balance the books, and Villa are ready to pounce.

Torres a Tammy Abraham Upgrade

Villa knew that they needed attacking reinforcements back in January, and they completed a deal to bring in Tammy Abraham as cover and competition for Ollie Watkins up front.

Torres is good enough to come in and potentially take that starting spot from Watkins, but he is also capable of playing out wide, which could help him to replace Morgan Rogers or Jadon Sancho, should their futures lie elsewhere.

Emery is a big fan of the player, and Torres has Premier League experience too, which should make this deal a no-brainer if he does become available.