West Ham United are currently leading the race for Kalvin Phillips but are yet to find an agreement amid Manchester City’s exorbitant demands.
Football Insider tipped West Ham United as the leading contender for Kalvin Phillips’ signature. The £45 million midfield ace could leave Manchester City on a loan deal, although Pep Guardiola’s side are demanding a huge loan fee, which might potentially derail any movement.
Are West Ham United leading Kalvin Phillips’s chase?
Kalvin Phillips will have a lot of clubs queueing up to sign him before the closure of the January window as he seeks an immediate exit from Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has barely used him since signing the £45 million midfield ace in the summer of 2022.
Phillips has made a total of six starts for the club since leaving Leeds United and fears for his place in the England squad if his situation remains the same. Guardiola does not count on the midfielder, which could pave the way for a departure, albeit on loan until the summer.
West Ham had opened talks for the midfielder recently, as they are now considered the favourites to land him should Phillips leave Manchester City. David Moyes has reportedly urged the club and director Tim Steidtn to sign the England international, but there are concerns over the loan fee demanded in the process.
It’s believed that Manchester City are seeking a fee of £6-7 million to let Phillips leave on loan. West Ham are unwilling to pay that much, although they feel Phillips would like to join them ahead of other suitors. The Hammers could keep the dialogue open with Man City in a bid to find a suitable agreement for the £45 million midfield ace.
Manchester City’s demands a stumbling block?
Manchester City are eager to cut short their losses with Phillips, on whom they spent £45 million. They are not expecting any team to pay that much, considering many are not in a position to sign the England midfielder permanently right now.
However, their demand of a £6-7 million loan fee has already seen Newcastle United bow out of the race, despite the Magpies emerging as favourites to sign him. The same could apply to West Ham, who are currently leading the race but could abandon if Manchester City does not drop their demands.
Tottenham are another option for Phillps, although the north Londoners consider him as a contingent to other targets like Conor Gallagher. Hence, time is of the essence for West Ham to decide on whether to pay Manchester City an exorbitant loan fee for only six months.
