West Ham made the baffling decision not to sign Nat Phillips from Liverpool in the January transfer window.
Hammers boss David Moyes wanted to sign the 24-year-old centre-back during the January transfer window according to the likes of The Sun and The Evening Standard.
Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was allegedly prepared to sell him for around £12 million (The Mirror).
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And we know that Phillips would have been open to the idea of moving to the London Stadium because he joined Championship side Bournemouth on loan on deadline day.
So why on earth didn’t the Hammers manage to get a deal over the line for Phillips? We obviously don’t know the reason why, but one thing’s for sure, we will be made to regret that decision between now and the end of the season if Kurt Zouma or Craig Dawson suffer any kind of serious injury.
West Ham will regret ridiculous decision not to sign Nat Phillips
The 24-year-old Liverpool-owned centre-half has everything that the Hammers need in central defence.
Standing at 6ft 4in tall, Phillips is incredibly strong in the air – he proved that last season during both games against us. He’s tenacious in the tackle, a great reader of the game and plays with commitment, passion and desire.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp recently described Phillips as ‘unbelievable’ (Liverpool Echo). Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand raved about his display for the Reds at the San Siro in December, labelling Phillips as ‘beautiful’ and ‘Baresi like’ (Daily Mail).
The fact that Phillips has received that kind of praise proves just how much talent he has and how highly regarded he is in the game.
Spending £12 million on a player with Phillips’ quality would have been great value for West Ham. In this day and age, that kind of money is absolute peanuts for a top-class player.
The 24-year-old would have been a huge upgrade on both Issa Diop and Craig Dawson. Instead, the West Ham owners chose not to spend the money required to bring him to the London Stadium.
And that will undoubtedly end up being a decision that the Hammers are made to regret.
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