West Ham have bolstered their midfield by signing Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips on loan for the rest of the season and they could raise funds for further signings by selling Pablo Fornals to Real Betis.
Fornals is out of contract at the end of the season and Betis, who have also considered a loan, intend to bid after completing the sale of Luiz Henrique to Botafogo. A return to Spain would suit the midfielder and a sale for a player who joined from Villarreal for £24m in 2019 would be a boost for West Ham as they look to freshen up their squad.
David Moyes has a settled starting XI but recent injuries in attack have exposed issues with West Ham’s back-up players. Moyes is also prepared to sanction the departure of Saïd Benrahma, who is the subject of interest from Marseille and clubs in the Saudi Pro League.
West Ham are in talks over a deal for the Nordsjælland winger Ibrahim Osman – the Danish club rejected a bid of €16m (£13.7m) for the 19-year-old and are holding out for a package of about €20m – and could consider a move for Jota, with the winger’s future at Al-Ittihad uncertain.
West Ham have backed Moyes by moving for Phillips, although the deal for the England midfielder does not contain an option to buy. Talks had centred around an option of £40m to make the deal permanent in the summer.
West Ham have agreed to pay a loan fee and are covering Phillips’s wages of about £140,000 a week. Financial fair play considerations could make it difficult for them to afford the 28-year-old’s salary on a permanent basis.
Phillips told the club’s Iron Cast podcast: “[Moyes] reassured me that this was probably the best place for me to come on loan and that I’ll love every second and minute of it, and so far I have done. I’m very happy coming here. I’m looking forward to getting going.
“I think, honestly, if City hadn’t come in for me 18 months ago, then West Ham would have been the club I would’ve come to. It was always in the pipeline. Moyesy, he’s been after me for two years, he told me on the phone. So eventually, it was going to happen.”
Phillips has moved in the hope of playing regularly before England’s campaign at Euro 2024 in Germany. He has played only 89 minutes in the Premier League this season, his two starts for City coming in the Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle and the final Champions League group game win at Red Star Belgrade, Pep Guardola’s side having already qualified for the next phase.
Phillips signed from Leeds United two summers ago for £42m but has never established himself. Guardiola has previously criticised the player for being overweight and lacking “rhythm in short spaces”.
On Thursday City’s manager said: “Hopefully he can play the minutes he deserves and I couldn’t give to him. I wish him [well]. I’ve said many times, he’s an exceptional human being and football player, otherwise he wouldn’t be in the national team. Hopefully he can prove what he really is.”
