Sources: West Ham reignite interest in Kalvin Phillips after ‘surprise’ Man City twist
West Ham have reignited their interest in Man City star Kalvin Phillips, sources have told Football Insider.
The Londoners were linked with a £50million bid for the midfielder, 27, last January when he was still at Leeds United.
Now, West Ham have been alerted by City boss Pep Guardiola surprisingly going public to condemn Phillips for being “overweight” and in poor condition when he returned after the World Cup.
The Irons expect to lose Declan Rice in the summer window when he will have just a year left on his contract after he rejected multiple offers to extend it.
Phillips is highly rated by manager David Moyes and seen as capable of replacing Rice if he leaves.
The midfielder could even be available for less than the fee paid by City last summer, of £42m plus £3m add-ons.
The former Leeds midfielder has played just one minute of Premier League football since his move to the Etihad in the summer and looks to be falling further and further down in Guardiola’s pecking order.
He was still called up to the England squad by Gareth Southgate for the 2022 World Cup this winter but lost his starting spot alongside Rice to youngster Jude Bellingham.
With Rice likely heading for the exit in the summer and Tomas Soucek struggling for form this season, a new midfielder will be top of the priority list for Moyes.
Flynn Downes has made good progress at the London Stadium this season, but there is no obvious successor to Rice within the current squad.
It comes as Moyes finds himself fighting for his job at West Ham after a poor start to the season.
In other news, sources reveal Moyes verdict from West Ham board after loss to Brentford