West Ham United are nearing the completion of a loan move for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips on a deal until the end of the season.
Phillips' wages of £140,000-a-week are set to be covered by his new club and there will reportedly be an option to make the move permanent at the end of the loan spell. West Ham's financial state come the summer will be the key determining factor on whether they make the move permanent or not.
Having just returned from Manchester City's training camp in Abu Dhabi, Phillips will now make the journey to London to undergo a medical this week. He will then be able to make his debut for the Hammers in a Premier League home clash with AFC Bournemouth on 1st February.
Manchester City have made Phillips available for a move away this month as he has struggled for playing time this season. The 28-year-old has featured in just 10 games in all competitions and started just two of those.
Phillips had a similar issue last season, as after joining Manchester City from Leeds United for £45 million, he could not break into the starting eleven. Injury and fitness issues caused him to make just 12 league appearances and he played little part in Manchester City's treble success.
Phillips' minutes on the pitch became more restricted this season as Pep Guardiola's side brought in midfielders, Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes. These transfers came after it was already difficult enough for Phillips to displace midfield players such as Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in Manchester City's starting line-up.
Youngster, Rico Lewis, was also trusted by Guardiola in the starting 11 before Phillips. Furthermore, De Bruyne's recent return from a long-term injury meant Phillips' chances of featuring prominently this season were as good as over.
Last month, Guardiola expressed sympathy for the minimal playing time he had given to the England midfielder but admitted he did not view Phillips as a part of his plans. The Manchester City boss explained: "I feel so sorry for my decision for him. He doesn't deserve what has happened. It's just because I visualise the team and I struggle to see him."
Before West Ham struck a deal to bring in Phillips, clubs including Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Juventus and Atletico Madrid were interested in taking him on loan. However, the £7 million loan fee Manchester City were initially looking for put off the clubs, as it is a sizeable cost for a short-term loan and for a player that may need time to reach full match sharpness.
West Ham have been rebuilding its midfield since Declan Rice's £105 million departure to Arsenal last summer, as Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Mohammed Kudus were acquired this season.
However, David Moyes' options in the middle of the park have become limited recently as Alvarez and Lucas Paqueta are currently sidelined with calf injuries.
For Phillips, he will be hoping that a good stretch of performances in the next few months helps his chances of representing England at Euro 2024 this summer. Phillips has been regularly selected in Gareth Southgate's England squads in the last few years and continued to be picked even when his playing time was limited at Manchester City.
If Phillips is in good form ahead of the Euro, there is every chance he will play a big part for England this summer as he has been crucial in the past to Southgate. He played close to every minute during England's run to the final of the last Euro and was subsequently voted England's player of the year for 2021.
In addition to Phillips, West Ham are looking to sign 19-year-old Ghanaian winger, Ibrahim Osman, with the club in negotiations with Danish side, FC Nordsjaelland, over a potential £15 million deal.
The Hammers have also been linked with a loan move for Arsenal midfielder, Emile Smith Rowe. However, that deal is unlikely to go through as both the player and his club were not interested in entertaining West Ham's initial approach.
