Sheffield United have agreed a deal in principle to sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips on loan for the season, GMS understands, with Blades boss Chris Wilder making his stance on the player clear.

City signed the Englishman from Leeds United in a deal worth up to £45m in 2022, but the transfer ultimately hasn’t worked out for either party.

Phillips still has two years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, but he will spend one year of that at Sheffield United after the Championship side reached an agreement for him to move to Bramall Lane on a season-long-loan deal.

It will be the 30-year-old’s second spell with the Blades after he also joined them on loan for the second half of the 2025-26 campaign, which was a spell cut short by injury.

Phillips made just three appearances, including being sent off on his third outing, before suffering an injury which meant that he didn’t wear a red and white shirt for the remainder of the campaign.

Still, Wilder has decided that he clearly saw enough from the midfielder in that short time to bring him back to boost his squad ahead of another gruelling Championship season.

Kalvin Phillips’ Manchester City Career in Numbers

via Reuters

After excelling for Leeds United in the Premier League, and being capped by England as a result, City decided to make a big-money move to prise Phillips away from Elland Road.

Due to various injuries and generally not being fancied for regular minutes by Pep Guardiola, it is a move that simply hasn’t worked out.

Even though Enzo Maresca has now arrived at the Etihad after Guardiola’s summer exit, Phillips’ fortunes haven’t improved and he was excluded from the club’s pre-season tour of Asia, once again showing that his future lies away from the eight-time Premier League champions.

What Kalvin Phillips Said After Joining United in January

While Phillips may be seen by some fans as a player whose career is declining, the 30-year-old clearly believes he still has a lot to give if he can get to playing regularly again.

Shortly after joining the Blades on loan, the midfielder told Sky Sports:

“I want to play as many games as possible. If I’d gone to a Premier League team, it might have taken longer to get into the team, and they have fewer games.

“I’d rather be put in the deep end than work my way in. Chris (Wilder) has been really good with me, asking how I’m feeling and making sure that if there’s anything body-wise or uncomfortable, he’s there to ask the questions.

“Funnily enough, it was early December when I was thinking about going out on loan. Pat {Bamford] texted me and said Chris is asking him to message me to see what I thought about coming here to play a few games. At first, I wasn’t sure, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought, ‘why not?’

“I’m a person who works hard and never gives up on what I believe I can do.

“Any player in my situation would say not playing has been the major reason for a dip. So many players have stayed at clubs for so long without playing, and their careers have fizzled out. I didn’t want that to happen.

“I still feel like I’ve got life in me and a lot of football to play. I’m looking forward to the next three or four years.”

Jeff Stelling has made his final predictions for the 2026/27 Premier League table, with the widely loved former Gillette Soccer Saturday host making a surprising call at both ends of the table.

Of course, there is still plenty of time for clubs to make amendments to their squads after yet another summer transfer window in which England’s top flight has splashed out well over £1billion. But with just under two weeks to go until champions Arsenal get the ball rolling against newly promoted Coventry City, some storylines are already beginning to take shape.

Can the Gunners retain their title and begin building a dynasty? Will Chelsea’s phenomenal spending reap equally successful peaks? Or will Manchester City or Liverpool bounce back to regain their dominance after managerial changes? It’s not just the top of the table that will be intriguing to watch, with plenty of drama expected at the other end, too.

Relegation Zone

Despite Hull City making a raft of new signings this summer, it isn’t surprising to see Stelling predict their fate at rock bottom. They have the weakest squad in the division. But while it would be easy to predict that the same three promoted clubs will go straight back down to the Championship, he believes Fulham – reeling from the effects of losing Harry Wilson to Leeds United on a free transfer – will end up 19th.

That would be a dramatic fall from grace for the Cottagers, who had become so used to stability under Marco Silva, but now enter a period of uncertainty under former Real Madrid caretaker Alvaro Arbeloa. The final relegation place has been given to Ipswich Town, while Crystal Palace’s 17th-placed finish would represent a regression after winning the Europa Conference League just a couple of months ago.

Sunderland should be looking down at most of the table next season if their overperformance in qualifying for the Europa League last time out is anything to go by. But perhaps that extra competition is more than enough reason to believe they won’t be as stable this time around. Meanwhile, Coventry City finishing 15th would be a great indication of how far Frank Lampard has come in management since his last attempt at the Premier League.

Mid-table

Man City Website: https://www.mancity.com/meta/media/w5fa3rbr/bournemouth-opta-lead.jpg?width=1440

In 14th, Bournemouth are tipped to finish eight places lower, which is most likely a direct impact of Andoni Iraola’s move to Liverpool from the south coast. Brentford are predicted to take a similar backward step, though perhaps the continuation of Keith Andrews’ positive work from his first season in charge means the London club can expect a healthy evolution. Both clubs will be an intriguing watch, with their seasons difficult to predict.

Nottingham Forest flirted with relegation at various worrying flashpoints last season, with Evangelos Marinakis’ constant chopping and changing of management proving a major disadvantage for a club looking to regain their status as an elite English side capable of competing in Europe. A 12th-placed finish this time would be a positive sign of things to come, while Leeds United finishing a place higher would show the progress they have made.

In 10th, and just missing out on European football, are Brighton. No matter how many changes the Seagulls go through, they manage to keep the good times rolling, and yet another fight for the upper reaches of the table shows just how much they have cemented their position in the promised land over the last five years or so.

European Places & Title Race

Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising call Stelling made during a segment with TalkSPORT is that, while most football fans believe the departures of Eddie Howe, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes could leave Newcastle in a perilous position, he believes they are still capable of finishing seventh – five places better off despite having a much weaker squad.

He’s put the Magpies above Everton in ninth and Europa League winners Aston Villa in eighth. Meanwhile, Tottenham are above Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification, which would mark a remarkable 12-place climb for the Lilywhites after spending big on the likes of the aforementioned Tonali, as well as Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke and others. See Stelling’s full predictions below:

In fourth, Manchester United are tipped to continue looking good under Michael Carrick’s helmsmanship, with Manchester City just ahead on the podium in third.

Chelsea’s spending has often been reckless under Todd Boehly, but Stelling believes money will finally buy some happiness at Stamford Bridge, as they are predicted to push Arsenal to the wire in the title race. The Gunners, however, are tipped to win back-to-back titles – their first consecutive league triumphs since the 1930s after 22 years of waiting for just one shot at glory prior to last term.

The start of the new Premier League season brings about a whole new set of fresh kits — and the 2026/27 designs are some of the coolest we’ve seen in years.

From top to bottom, there are plenty of innovative designs, bright and bold colours and strong contrasts between home and away kits that make teams stand out. As football kit culture has taken on a life of its own over the past few years, now is the best time to get involved with the ever-growing trend.

Most people don’t realise the nature of the details that kits have. Oftentimes, there are nods to historical events, tributes, fine design choices and individual features that, once noticed, give you a whole new appreciation for something that is simply more than just a shirt.

This is not a list of the biggest clubs or the loudest sponsors; it is a ranking based on aesthetics, originality, inspiration and how far each shirt dares to stand apart from the template pack. Here are the 12 best.

Ranking Factors:

• Aesthetic
• Originality
• Inspiration

12

Bournemouth (Home)

Brand: Hummel

The Cherries mark their maiden European campaign with a retro-styled home shirt that has the makings of an instant classic.

This perfectly captures the essence of Bournemouth‘s kits across the years, with the black and red contrasts really standing out in the long-sleeve version.

11

Sunderland (Away)

Brand: Hummel

A first-ever collaboration with the Elvis Presley Estate, the Hummel away shirt honours the legendary anthem — ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’—that the fans have sung for decades. Boasting historical and pop culture links that are rooted in the fanbase, this will shine under the European lights next season for Sunderland as an exciting season lies in prospect.

10

Tottenham (Away)

Brand: Nike

Nike

While the home kit plays it safe, the away kit has seen Nike adopt a genuine departure from the minimalist approach of years gone by.

Given its hugely contrasting design, it strikes a bold feeling that ensures Tottenham will travel in style in a new era.

9

Arsenal (Away)

Brand: Adidas

Via Arsenal’s Official Website

The ‘bruised banana’ well refuses to run dry as Adidas has reworked the much-adored early-1990s away design, this time with a fresh twist on the famous zigzags.

With subtle graphic stripes hidden in rich, dark navy colours, the Adidas Trefoil logo and gold colours on the badge and sponsor truly speak to Arsenal‘s reigning champions tag.

8

Coventry City (Home)

Brand: Hummel

Hummel

Back in the top flight for the first time since 2000-01, Coventry City have honoured their 1987 FA Cup triumph with a four-tone jacquard stripe and fine navy pinstripes referencing the original Wembley shirt.

Under Frank Lampard, you can imagine the sea of blue and white at the Coventry Building Society Arena rising for their team, as they aim to take on the biggest names.

7

Chelsea (Away)

Brand: Nike

Via Chelsea on X

Nike’s ‘Unleash The Lion’ away strip is an instant classic. It also pays tribute to the club’s ‘Italian Renaissance’ of the 1990s, which also marks Chelsea‘s first black away shirt since their last title-winning campaign in 2016/17.

Gold across the arms, neck and across the badge, the Nike tick and Club World Cup badge alongside no front-of-shirt sponsor give an elevated, classy look — and one that says ‘we mean business’.

6

Liverpool (Home)

Brand: Adidas

Adidas

This year’s duo of kits both feature on the list and the home shirt is a modern tribute to the beloved 1989-91 ‘Candy’ kit, which harkens back to the Kenny Dalglish title-winning era.

Red never looked so good and the white stripes on the shoulders and around the neck help to accentuate the natural colour of the Merseyside giants. Expect this to be a real modern fan favourite for Liverpool fans.

5

Hull City (Home)

Brand: Oxen Sports

Oxen Sports

The first home short of Hull City‘s multi-year partnership with Oxen — a manufacturer with roots in the city — is a complete triumph. Blending both tradition and modern design, it is a true statement on their return to the Premier League.

Plus, the design is a nod to the club’s ‘A King’s town then a city’ and they will need a siege mentality to stay up after earning promotion in dramatic fashion.

4

Leeds United (Away)

Brand: Adidas

Via Adidas

In a word: sensational. This is the first Leeds United away kit to carry the Adidas Original Trefoil, alongside a returning retro crest last seen in 1998.

When people complain that kits don’t have imagination or ‘all look the same’, they should take stock of an innovative and historical design such as this. A deep yellow base is beautifully complimented by the blue ends.

3

Liverpool (Away)

Brand: Adidas

Via Liverpool FC on X

Similar to the home kit, this takes from Liverpool’s past as an all-conquering side. A classic shield-style crest pattern from the 1970s, paired with the Trefoil logo, which is a common theme in this list.

A clean white aesthetic is paired with the rich and iconic red of the club and will have fans looking forward to away days, to see this beauty in action.