West Ham close to agreeing MEGA transfer as Juventus lurk

Cameron Smith

• 22 Jan 2024 19:19 GMT
• 3 min read

West Ham United are now close to reaching an agreement with Manchester City to sign Kalvin Phillips on loan until the end of the 2023-24 season.

The England international has made just nine appearances (two starts) for Pep Guardiola’s side so far this campaign and has been heavily linked with a January exit for several months.

West Ham have raced to the front of the queue and are now on the verge of completing a loan deal for the former Leeds United star, according to The Daily Mail.

The report states that the finer details of the move still need to be agreed upon, but Phillips is open to joining West Ham this month as he seeks a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s European Championship.

The Daily Mail have also reported that West Ham are open to signing Phillips on a permanent deal when his loan deal expires this summer, although his wages may ensure a move is difficult to arrange.

Juventus are still lurking in the background and could make a late push to land Phillips, but West Ham remain in pole position for now.

How will Kalvin Phillips fit in at West Ham?

David Moyes has been fairly settled with regards to his preferred starting XI so far this season, although injury and availability issues mean his squad was extremely depleted during the 2-2 draw against Sheffield United on Sunday.

When everyone is fit, the West Ham boss has frequently deployed a midfield three of Edson Alvarez, Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse, with Lucas Paqueta playing as an unorthodox left winger, Mohammed Kudus on the right and Jarrod Bowen through the middle.

Phillips’ imminent arrival could shake things up, however.

Data analytics experts SciSports believe that a move to the London Stadium is Phillips’ second-best career choice (behind joining Fulham), with his potential development sky-high under Moyes and West Ham’s formation suiting him well.

Phillips has been used as a number six and a number eight during his career and the latter seems more plausible in east London.

While Soucek has enjoyed a decent start to the campaign, his goal-scoring exploits have dropped off massively and he is far less secure in possession than Phillips.

The ex-Leeds man has a superior passing range and his ball-striking is also excellent.

Soucek may feel hard done by if he does lose his place in West Ham’s starting XI, but Phillips is a better player when match fit and he could help Moyes in the Hammers’ push for another season of European football.