West Ham closing in on Kalvin Phillips deal as Man City transfer talks continue

Former Leeds man open to move as Hammers near signing of long-term target
Malik Ouzia @MalikOuzia_23 January 2024

West Ham are closing in on a deal to sign Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips on loan until the end of the season, in what would be a major coup for David Moyes.

Phillips is set to leave the treble-winners this month as he searches for regular playing time ahead of England’s European Championship bid this summer and had been a target for the likes of Newcastle, Barcelona and Juventus.

Talks between the two clubs are ongoing and West Ham are reluctant to pay a hefty loan fee, with City reportedly demanding as much as £7million for what will effectively be a three-and-a-half month switch. A compromise is expected to be reached, however, with the player open to the move and West Ham increasingly confident of reaching an agreement this week.

The Irons have been long-term admirers of Phillips and failed with a £50million bid for the midfielder in January 2022, six months before he left boyhood club Leeds to join City.

Moyes had keen to recreate his England partnership with Declan Rice and again considered the 28-year-old as a replacement for his Arsenal-bound captain last summer, but Phillips was reluctant to leave the Etihad so soon.

On the sidelines: Phillips has hardly featured for Manchester City since joining from Leeds
Action Images via Reuters

However, he is yet to start a Premier League game this season and while he has remained a feature in England squads when fit, Gareth Southgate has warned his players they risk missing out on Euro 2024 if they are not playing regular football.

“He needs to play and is a really important player for us,” the Three Lions boss said during the last international break in November. “We don't have many players who can operate the way he can, we have faith and trust in him, of course people talk about his lack of minutes. We don't have an ideal situation.”

Moyes strengthened his midfield with the additions of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse following Rice’s £105m departure last summer, but remains short on numbers and brought full-back Ben Johnson off the bench to play in the position during Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Sheffield United.

Alvarez missed that match with a calf injury and a lack of cover for the Mexican has been exposed, with West Ham taking just one point from the three league matches he has missed since making his debut.

West Ham’s FA Cup exit to Bristol City last week means they do not play again until meeting Bournemouth on transfer deadline day, when Phillips could make his debut should a deal be struck this week.

In another major boost, Mohammed Kudus appears likely to return from the Africa Cup of Nations ahead of that game after Ghana’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Mozambique last night left them on the brink of elimination.

Kudus has been named man of the match in each of his two appearances at the tournament but the Black Stars have taken just two points from three group games and now need a minor miracle to squeeze into the knockout stage as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Kudus could return from the Africa Cup of Nations early after Ghana's collapse
AP

West Ham are still in the market for another wide-forward this month, but Kudus’s likely return and Jarrod Bowen’s swift comeback from injury have lessened the need and Phillips is now the priority target.

Said Benrahma is still expected to leave the club before the end of the window amid interest in France, but Johnson’s impressive recent cameos mean the defender is likely to stay at the London Stadium despite entering the final six months of his contract.

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