Kalvin Phillips: West Ham tipped to submit new bid for Leeds star after £50m-plus reveal yesterday
Kevin Phillips has tipped West Ham to reignite their pursuit of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the summer transfer window.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Sunderland striker hailed the Irons’ ambition to try and sign the 26-year-old in January.
As reported by The Guardian (29 January) West Ham tabled a £50million for Phillips ahead of the winter transfer deadline.
A Leeds source told Football Insider on Saturday (5 February) that the Whites are expecting offers that will eclipse the Irons’ offer this summer.
Kevin Phillips insisted West Ham would be among his suitors again.
However, he questioned whether the Leeds star is seen as a partner or a replacement for Declan Rice.
Asked if the Phillips bid might be a hint over Rice’s future, he told Football Insider’s Dylan Childs: “Good question. You can look at both ways, can’t you?
“Imagine Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice, they’re two quality midfielders. They’re fairly similar to each other. You can imagine those two sitting in the middle of the park, dominating midfield.
“Then again, it might be a replacement. We don’t know whether Declan Rice, in the background, has said: ‘I’ll stay this January but in the summer I want a move.’
“He might want to go play for one of those top two, three, four sides in the Premier League.
“I think it just shows you the ambition of West Ham, being interested in Kalvin Phillips. He’s a class player, I would imagine there will be one or two more bids, come the summer, for him from West Ham.”
Phillips is contracted at Elland Road until 2024.
An academy graduate, he has played 226 times for Leeds to date.
In other news, Kieran Maguire claims West Ham are in place to smash records this summer.