Kalvin Phillips completed his move to West Ham on Friday on a six-month loan deal from Manchester City, where the England midfielder had fallen out of favor with Pep Guardiola.
Phillips had made just 16 Premier League appearances — all but two as a substitute — in 18 months at City.
The move should help the 28-year-old Phillips compete for an England spot at the European Championship, and it gives West Ham depth as it contends for a Europa League title and another European spot in the Premier League.
“There’s so much to look forward to in the second half of the season for the club and I can’t wait to be part of it,” Phillips said.
Phillips had joined City in the summer of 2022, leaving his hometown and boyhood club Leeds to sign a six-year contract. City had paid a transfer fee of 45 million pounds (then $55 million).
Guardiola complained that Phillips was “overweight” when the defensive midfielder returned to team training after the 2022 World Cup.
Financial details were not disclosed, but the loan deal reportedly doesn’t include an option to buy.
“Hopefully he can play the minutes he deserves (that) I couldn’t give to him,” Guardiola said Thursday.
Phillips’ spell at City was hampered by an early shoulder injury and the emergence of Rodri.
West Ham, despite losing defensive midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal last summer, is sixth in the Premier League and has advanced to the round of 16 in the second-tier Europa League.
Phillips joins a midfield contingent that includes James Ward-Prowse, Edson Álvarez and Tomáš Souček.
“We’ve been big admirers of him for a long time and we believe that he will add strength and competition to our squad,” Hammers manager David Moyes said of his new arrival.
West Ham next plays Bournemouth in the league next Thursday.
Credit: AP
Related
You must be logged in to post a comment.