In a recent report, The Sun stated that West Ham United wanted to land Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips. It has been claimed that the Hammers along with Leeds United and Everton wanted to sign the English midfielder on loan but failed to do so last month.
Phillips’ Growing Struggles At The Etihad Stadium This Season
Phillips is having an underwhelming debut season at the Mancunian club as he has failed to break out as a first-team starter for them recently. The Leeds-born talent has been involved in just eight matches for Man City during this campaign but has failed to score or create a goal for them so far across all competitions.
The English midfield ace has caught the eye at times in the EFL Cup based on his average of 3.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 1.0 clearances per 90 minutes in that competition. He has even been accurate with his ball distribution after making 92.6% of his attempted passes in the League Cup (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Etihad Stadium is set to run out in the summer of 2028. Thus, it won’t be easy for the Hammers to land him permanently at the end of this campaign. However, a loan move could be a possibility, especially if Phillips continues to struggle to get regular playing time under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola.
Should West Ham United Boss David Moyes Go Back For Phillips Next Summer?
Phillips is a tough-tackling midfielder who can read the danger well to secure the ball back for his team at the centre of the park. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when the opposition are on the offensive and is a tidy passer of the ball as well. The former Leeds United talent has got the vision to engineer some inviting chances for his teammates in the opponent’s half when he is playing regularly and with confidence on the pitch.
We can expect Phillips to bring a lot of bite and steel to David Moyes‘ midfield if the Hammers can devise a way to sign him on loan or permanently in the future.
Phillips is good enough to serve as a regular starter at the London Stadium and could help the East London club push for a European spot in the Premier League next season. Thus, Moyes should focus on going back in for him if the player continues to struggle at Man City.