West Ham are poised to sign Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City for the rest of the season. The deal has not been finalised but the midfielder has agreed to move to the London Stadium.
It remains to be seen whether West Ham will have an option to buy Phillips. They are covering his wages of £140,000 a week but talks over an option are ongoing.
West Ham will take their financial fair play position into consideration when they decide whether they can afford Phillips on a permanent basis.
The short-term arrangement is expected to be sealed by the end of the week. Phillips is flying back from holiday on Tuesday and is due to undergo a medical on Thursday. He had been targeted by Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Juventus but the strongest push has come from West Ham.
David Moyes has long been an admirer of Phillips and tried to sign him from Leeds two years ago. The 28-year-old moved to City in the summer of 2022 but has failed to adapt to life under Pep Guardiola. He has not started a Premier League game this season and needs regular football to ensure he is part of England’s squad at Euro 2024.
Gareth Southgate, England’s manager, has stayed loyal to Phillips, who will be competing with Edson Álvarez, Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse at West Ham. Álvarez and Ward-Prowse were signed after West Ham sold Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105m last summer but Moyes feels he needs more cover in midfield.
West Ham remain in the market for a left-sided forward, with Lucas Paquetá sidelined by a calf injury. They had initially targeted a centre-back this month. They are also in talks with Nordsjælland over a deal for the 19-year-old winger, Ibrahim Osman.
