I don’t think it’s anythinkg like Phillips, who is in a small minority of miss steps when compared to all the players we have bought in the last 10 years, the only one maybe to show no improvement.
Phillips was only ever supposed to be a squad player cover for Rodri. We still had Gundogan then. If we buy Guimaraes for £80/100mill it will be because we have a first team role for him as well as providing cover for Rodri.
If we buy him we can play in rotation.
Rodri Guimares
Guimaraes Kovacic
Rodri Kovacic.
All without disrupting how we play, with either Guimaraes or Kovacic in the old Gundogan role.Though think Guimaraes is the one more capable of ghosting into the box with coaching and hopefully grabbing a few goals.
He may not be the the clubs choice ,don’t know but I can see why he would be.