Thursday would appear to be the day that Man City’s Kalvin Phillips is finally going to put pen to paper on a deal that will take him on loan to West Ham United.
Given that it was thought both Juventus and Newcastle United were in the running for the player at various stages of the current transfer window, it’s a stunning coup from the Hammers.
The 28-year-old will form part of a strong West Ham midfield and, injuries permitting, will give himself a great chance at being considered for Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championship.
Under Pep Guardiola, Phillips has barely played and never really been given a chance to justify his £45m price tag (Sky Sports).
Speaking on his The Gary Neville podcast, the former Man United and England international turned Sky Sports pundit noted that, perhaps, Phillips was never really the right fit for the Cityzens.
“I think it’s a good fit. I can see why David Moyes would want Kalvin Phillips – that reliability in midfield,” he said.
“[…] There’s this theory that goes around that an average player can play in a great team because they will be carried by the rest of the players – that isn’t the case. You’d stand out a million miles if you couldn’t cope with the ability and the quick speed of the player.
“That’s what’s happened to Phillips a little bit at City – it’s all a little bit too quick for him. You’ve got to have eyes in the back of your head, receive it on the half-turn and be absolutely brilliant technically.”
From a West Ham perspective, they’re getting Phillips at precisely the right time.
He’s in his supposed prime years as a player and with a point to prove, not just to Southgate but to Pep Guardiola too.
If he can become anything like the player that City thought they were buying, David Moyes will have bagged himself a bargain.