West Ham’s interest in signing England star Kalvin Phillips has been confirmed by a club source but there are two big issues.
West Ham are not even assured of their Premier League status next season, but that has not stopped the transfer speculation burning bright a few months out from the summer window.
According to new reports this week, West Ham will try to sign Kalvin Phillips again as a replacement for Declan Rice after his unsuccessful move to Manchester City.
Hammers News carried the latest reports yesterday claiming that David Moyes remains keen on Phillips as Rice’s replacement.
West Ham fans will remember the club’s failed move to sign Phillips when he was still at Leeds.
The Elland Road club rejected West Ham’s advances and then sold the England midfielder to Man City for £10m less.
Moyes even admitted West Ham had submitted a higher bid to Leeds for Phillips than Man City (Daily Mail).
The fresh reports that West Ham will move for Phillips again in the summer has prompted a response from a Hammers insider.
And the West Ham interest in signing England star Phillips has been confirmed by the club source but there are two big issues.
A West Ham source has told Claret and Hugh that the club and Moyes do like Phillips.
But his injury record and wages ‘sadly’ make a move unlikely.
“He’s a good player and we like him,” a West Ham source told the site.
“But sadly he appears to be injured a lot of the time and is probably on very high wages as a City player.”
It is football’s worst kept secret that West Ham captain Rice will leave the club this summer.
And the report also doubles down on that issue, claiming Arsenal or Chelsea are his most likely destinations.