Manchester City‘s Kalvin Phillips is attracting interest from West Ham United and it could be the perfect chance for Pep Guardiola to cash in on the former Leeds United man.
What’s the word?
According to Football Insider, West Ham have reignited their interest in the England international after Guardiola’s recent comments about the midfielder, who was dropped from the squad after returning from World Cup duty out of shape.
The Hammers lost out to Manchester City in the summer when it came to signing Phillips, with David Moyes confirming that they even bid more than the Citizens did to bring the 27-year-old to the Etihad.
Therefore, it is clear that the Scottish manager holds an interest in the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ and has now reportedly been put on high alert after Guardiola’s comments about Phillips being “overweight.”
Since joining from Leeds in 2022, the Englishman has failed to make a single start for his new club, featuring for just one minute in the Premier League, which suggests that his £45m addition has proven to be a mistake.
Time to get rid?
Phillips’ lack of minutes compared to his transfer fee is very worrying, as his injury problems have proved to be a massive issue in his time at the Etihad.
A shoulder injury ruled him out for most of the first half of the campaign but he would recover in time to travel to Qatar with the Three Lions, which will have no doubt frustrated Guardiola, who surely would have preferred him to continue his recovery in Manchester.
The England international is arguably already behind the likes of Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne when it comes to midfield options in Guardiola’s squad, so the Spaniard might consider cutting his losses, with West Ham seemingly the ideal destination.
The east London side look destined to lose Declan Rice to a Champions League club in 2023 and with Manchester City reportedly keen, they could put themselves in West Ham’s good books by selling them Phillips as his replacement.
The West Ham captain is four years younger than the Manchester City sick note so represents a much better long-term option at the Etihad, especially when you consider their respective standings at their current clubs.
Although Phillips has been described as “immense” by England teammate Marcus Rashford, he is yet to do anything of note in a City shirt and his summer arrival is beginning to look like somewhat of a mistake.
As such, Guardiola should seize this opportunity to sell the injury-prone star before his transfer value plummets even further.
SOURCE: footballfancast.com
