(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The London Evening Standard are reporting that the Hammers having launched a £50 million bid for Leeds midfielder Leeds United and England midfielder, Kalvin Phillips.
It follows an ambitious £50 million move for the player’s team-mate Raphinha knocked back as David Moyes bids to develop a Champions League squad but they remain difficult to comprehend at this stage of the game.
A striker and central defender have been the priority targets but Phillips is seen as a top addition. Manchester United have long tracked the 26-year-old.
He formed a fine partnership with Declan Rice at Euro 2020 as the Three Lions reached the final but is also a target for Manchester United and other top clubs.
The Standard is of course one of the few papers than can be trusted and if they claim Moyes wants to reunite the pair at the London Stadium then it’s believable.
However, Phillips could be seen as a long term replacement for Rice, who is valued at more than £100million and that’s a worry.
ClaretandHugh says: First Raphina, now Phillips! The cynic is me asks why we would be looking at players who COULD be seen as replacements for Declan and Jarrod Bowen. At this stage of the game one would have thought we would be looking at reinforcements to COVER positions. Neither of these two would be interested in coming in as backups to the likes of the captain, Jarrod or indeed Tomas so it may all be a tad worrying if we start to over analyse. Had it been any other ‘paper I’d have laughed it off but the is the Standard which is particularly well connected wit Moyes and the club. This sort of report is bound to start some hares running in ten minds of some of us.
Raphinha is imho better than Bowen, Phillips not quite as good but agree they could be replacements if deals are in place for this window or the summer. It is a lot of money for Phillips and he is injured. Imho Yves Bissouma is better although possibly they are trying to sign him to keep Rice. I believe that Bielsa has said no and equally that is why they are not sold because he has history of doing that at other clubs and will walk if they go over his head.
We are just about showing what an absolute joke of a football club we are slowly becoming and how this club has just let down the fans in the window. We have never been in a better position than we are not but we do not need a player like Philips, we need a left sided CB, a player like Lingard and a striker. With just over a day to go in the window and we have signed no top player in any of these positions. I cannot believe Moyes actually wants to sign Phillips, if true it is something you could not even come up with. It’s like he wants to be seen as a genius just like his decisions to bring on Noble and Frederick, nobody ever would have done that. The BOARD need to stop this as he is not the player to bring us anywhere to the next level. WE WILL NOT IMPROVIE US. Absolute joke of a recruitment strategy and finally if we can afford to spend 50m I am sure we can sign a top player in the other positions. I could see the logic in Rafinha but Phillips is totally over rated. Compare him to any of the 3 midfielders that Chelsea have, they are all better by a mile.
“Becoming a joke”?! Two years ago, we were a joke. A bottom three joke. We’d been a joke for much of the period since 1986. If the current set up at West Ham is a joke, I don’t understand the punchline. Moyes has done a lot good work away from the gaze of the media and ITK fans, in previous transfer windows. Why would this one be any different?
Could phillips be the big name player we have been offered but in a position we don’t need? Would be a great signing. Can’t see it happening though. I think Leeds have just become the latest transfer rumour punchbag. Perhaps they have got tired of peddling Declan Rice to Chelsea or Manchester United.
The recent noise about Leeds players sounds like puffing – naming players to make it seem we are really trying, when in truth Leeds will not sell any more than we would. Joke.