By Gonzo
One would have thought the transfer window closing would allow a brief hiatus from player trading gossip? However it appears the rumour mill remains fully operational, which of course means that West Ham continue to be linked with a multitude players.
One rumour in particular caught my attention this morning, which once again see’s the Hammers linked with Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The Sun (and numerous other media outlets) are reporting that David Moyes will look to bid £45 million for the former Leeds player, once Declan Rice departs in the summer.
The Hammers were interested in signing the England international 12 months ago, and reportedly valued Phillips at £50m as part of a double swoop which included Raphina.
Phillips has had a torrid start to life at City. He joined the reigning Premier League champions from Leeds for £45 million in the summer but has suffered with injury, and there remains a suspicion that he hasn’t convinced Pep Guardiola.
Personally I find this rumour incredibly tenuous and predicated upon too many unknowns. Should West Ham sign another injury prone player? Will David Moyes remain as manager? Will the Hammers be a Premier League team next season?
I believe Phillips is an excellent player, however West Ham need to incorporate far more diligence into their scouting when assessing injury. Big money was spent on Kurt Zouma, Maxwel Cornet and Danny Ings, all of whom had dubious fitness records.
Kalvin Phillips would be too big a risk, he was frequently injured for Leeds United and the same appears to be happening at Manchester City.
