Exclusive: John Barnes Talks Man City, Oscar Bobb, And Kalvin Phillips
Last Updated on January 22, 2024
By Jacob Potter 
Kevin De Bruyne’s triumphant return from injury must have sent shivers down the spines of the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal as the Belgian could prove to be the game changer that Manchester City desperately need to retain their Premier League title.
The former Wolfsburg midfielder was key to the Citizens’ win over Newcastle, scoring and assisting in the win. We caught up with English football icon and Liverpool legend John Barnes who spoke about the Belgian’s impact and also about the future of Kalvin Phillips at Man City.
You Can’t Help But Be Impressed By De Bruyne
Barnes was full of praise for Kevin De Bruyne and acknowledged his impact on the result of the game. He spoke, even more so, about the fact that the Belgian’s appearance buoyed the fans and players alike.
“You can’t help but be impressed by Kevin De Bruyne. As much as Man City are a fantastic side, you can see when he plays he lifts the fans and the players.
“Kevin De Bruyne returning alongside the promising contributions of Bobb will give City impetus now so it’s good news for them and bad news for everybody else.
Barnes admits that KDB and Erling Håland’s return are ominous signs for other teams in the league and it will provide more confidence to an already fantastic side.
“He gives a little bit more confidence to an already fantastic team so it’s ominous for the rest of the Premier League because now that he’s back, plus Haaland is returning.
“City are still favourites for the league. De Bruyne will be fresh and he won’t be tired because he’s just coming back for the second half of the season.“
Oscar Bobb Is One For The Future
Barnes also praised City starlet Oscar Bobb who scored a fantastic goal against Newcastle. The former Watford star said that Bobb is one for the future and it is remarkable that Pep Guardiola is already showing a lot of faith in him.
“With Oscar Bobb, we know the quality that he possesses. He’s a young player with great, great skill and him scoring that goal, when he scored it will do his confidence the world of good.
“He came on to score the winner, against Newcastle having not long been on the pitch. He may not start regularly yet but it shows that Guardiola has a lot of faith in him by putting him on the pitch.
“He’s one for the future. I don’t think he will start regularly this season but he can continue to come on off the bench and have positive impacts like Foden did.”
Kalvin Phillips Could Be Used To Bring In Michael Olise From Crystal Palace
With England international Kalvin Phillips struggling to get game time at the Etihad, question marks remain about his future. Crystal Palace, reportedly, are interested in the midfielder and Barnes reckons he could be used in a swap deal to get Michael Olise to the Etihad.
“Kalvin Phillips is never going to make a step up from Man City so if you’re not playing at Man City and you want to play more football, at a Premier League side, it will be a good move for him.
“He won’t be getting a move to Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool. Interesting thing about that is we know Manchester City are interested in Michael Olise so it would be interesting if they attempted to do a swap deal of some kind with some cash on top as an extra incentive.
“I think that would be a great move for Kalvin Phillips.”
Phillips is priced at 1/8 on BetVictor to move to West Ham United during the January transfer window, and you can use the BetVictor Bonus Code, which gets you a sizeable amount in free bets when you meet the qualifying criteria attached to the sign-up offer.
