As Kalvin Phillips nears a fourth loan move away from Manchester City, what can record signing Elliot Anderson learn from his struggles at the Etihad?

When Elliot Anderson completed his £116m move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City last week, there was a sense of deja vu. It is not the first time City has signed one of the most sought-after midfielders in the Premier League fresh from an impressive first international tournament with England. A similar story unfolded in 2022 when Kalvin Phillips left his boyhood club, Leeds United, to join City on a six-year deal. Fast forward four years and Phillips is on the brink of leaving the Etihad on loan for a fourth time, with the midfielder set to join Sheffield United for a second successive season. After spending eight seasons in the first team at Elland Road, Phillips helped Leeds secure Premier League survival a year after winning the Championship title. His performances also earned him a key role in England's run to the European Championships final in 2021, with his move to the Etihad expected to take his career to the next level. When Phillips arrived at Manchester City ahead of the 2022-23 season, he faced the challenge of breaking into a midfield that had won the Premier League only a few months earlier. That task became even harder when, after just one substitute appearance in the Premier League for his new club, he was ruled out for almost three months with a shoulder injury sustained in training.