Former Sunderland striker, Kevin Phillips believes that Harry Winks would be a good fit for Manchester City and insisted that the midfielder could fulfil his potential under Pep Guardiola.
Winks has been a regular in the Tottenham team since Jose Mourinho arrived in November having broken into the senior side under Mauricio Pochettino through the years.
However, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s arrival from Southampton, the midfielder now has genuine competition for his place in the Spurs starting XI.
The Sun claimed last week that Mourinho was willing to cash-in on Winks this summer as he looked to raise funds for Tottenham’s summer targets.
The report revealed that Manchester City were interested in the Spurs star, with a £40 million move to the Etihad being touted for the midfielder.
Phillips admitted that he is not surprised to see the 24-year-old being linked with a move away from North London as he is not a typical Mourinho player.
He claimed that a move to City would help bring the best out of the England international due to their possession-based approach.
MORE SPURS STORIES
When asked about City’s rumoured move for Winks, Phillips told Football Insider: “It’d be strange, but business is business.
“I’ve said all along that I like Harry Winks. I think technically he’s a good player, and he can get better. I actually think he would fit in quite well at Man City.
“I think he would develop under Pep Guardiola. You’ve seen how Phil Foden has developed and how he will become a world-class player.
“I’m not saying Jose Mourinho couldn’t do that, but there have been times this season when Harry Winks has been left out, I’ve almost started to wonder whether he is one of Jose’s players. Is he going to start every week?
“I’m not surprised that he’s being linked with other clubs, Man City maybe a little bit, but he’s a ballplayer. All of City’s players are ballplayers. It will be interesting to see how this one unfolds.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I agree with Phillips that Winks would be a better fit for a Guardiola side than for a Mourinho side. As much as I like Winks as a player, I do not think he offers enough defensively to consistently play as a pivot in a Jose midfield. The Spurs boss has always prefered central midfielders who have a big physical presence and are very intelligent in sensing and cutting out potential danger. I would not be surprised if Winks falls out of favour next season but I certainly cannot see him leaving the club this summer.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
