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Hammers gear up for midfielder showdown

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West Ham United are gearing up for a potential January showdown with Newcastle United in the race for Manchester City’s  Kalvin Phillips.
According to Mirror journalist Ryan Taylor, the Hammers are exploring a loan deal for the England international, who has fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola.

Hammers gear up for midfielder showdown

Phillips’ talent remains undeniable, even after limited playing time at City. His experience and defensive prowess hold immense appeal for several clubs, including Newcastle, who seek a replacement for the suspended Sandro Tonali and injured Joelinton.

Crystal Palace, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid are also monitoring the situation, but a transfer within England appears most likely.

West Ham, having wisely ( for once ) re-invested the £105 million from Declan Rice’s sale, boast a strong midfield duo at the moment in Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek. However, adding Phillips could be the missing piece. James Ward-Prowse’s attacking tendencies sometimes limit Soucek’s impact, a concern reminiscent of last season’s two-goal league tally.

Phillips’ arrival could free Ward-Prowse to flourish further up the pitch, while providing much-needed stability and control in the midfield base. The England international, eager for game time and a chance to rediscover his best form, could thrive under David Moyes’ guidance.

Whether West Ham can outbid Newcastle in this “straight shootout” remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: adding Kalvin Phillips would be a bold statement of intent, bolstering the Hammers’ midfield and potentially boosting our Premier League aspirations.

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon