Hammers identify Phillips replacement
West Ham are unlikely to pursue a permanent deal for Kalvin Phillips at the end of the season. The midfielder’s underwhelming performance, compounded by his recent red card against Nottingham Forest, has resulted in his exclusion from Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad.
Consequently, the Hammers are poised to return the 28-year-old to Manchester City in the summer and explore a potential deal for Royal Antwerp loanee Mandela Keita instead.
Currently on loan at Antwerp from OH Leuven, Keita has garnered praise for his performances, making him an attractive prospect. Opting for Keita would allow West Ham to view the midfielder as a long-term investment, mitigating immediate pressure for instant success.
However, this development marks a setback for Phillips, who has struggled to make an impact since joining West Ham on loan in January. If not signed permanently this summer, his career prospects would be uncertain, as Manchester City don’t want him anymore either. Phillips initially joined the Hammers with the expectation of regular first-team football.
Hammers identify Phillips replacement as he looks set to return to Man City
The situation reflects poorly on West Ham manager David Moyes, who advocated strongly for Phillips’ signing. Despite other areas of the squad needing reinforcement, Phillips was brought in during January, exacerbating the club’s midfield issues.
With Edson Alvarez suspended for three games, Phillips will have an opportunity to turn things around in his absence.
I would’ve rather he kept Fornals and played him in the centre of the park where he plays Phillips. Appreciate you could argue that he was a more attacking player, but he had a nice touch, loads of endeavour, and there’d be nothing wrong with a forward-passing centre defensive midfielder, would there?
Fornals grew tired of playing in a system that under-utilised his talents. It’s like Moyes and the coaching team don’t take any time to actually sit down with players and ask them what they want to do – where they want to play.
From my experience coaching, you cannot just get players in and tell them where to play and what to do, paying no mind of their attributes or their desires. They’re not robots!