West Ham have reached an agreement with Manchester City to sign Kalvin Phillips on loan.
Phillips has made just 31 appearances for City since a £45m transfer from Leeds in July 2022 and Pep Guardiola admitted in December he cannot envisage the England midfielder in his team.
The 28-year-old now looks set to leave the Etihad on a temporary basis although there is an option to join the Hammers permanently.
Phillips was flying back on Tuesday from Manchester City’s warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi with the rest of the squad and a medical is expected to take place this week.
Crystal Palace and Newcastle also made contact with City about a deal this month, while Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus were also understood to be interested.
Phillips has not managed a single start in the Premier League this season having started just twice last term.
Guardiola revealed before the window that he cannot find a place in his side for the 28-year-old, who has made four league appearances this season, saying: “I visualise the team and I struggle to see him.”
Why Phillips still has plenty to offer
Sky Sports features writer Nick Wright:
“Kalvin Phillips was billed as a Fernandinho replacement with the attributes to slot into Manchester City’s midfield. Instead, his signing will go down as a rare recruitment error by the champions.
“Phillips was mostly a spectator as Pep Guardiola’s side powered to the treble last season. The new campaign has brought more of the same. In total, he has made six starts in 18 months, playing only seven per cent of available Premier League minutes.
“Such a prolonged period out of favour would normally be a red flag to any suitors. But the circumstances are unique at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola’s demands are as high as they come – particularly in the No 6 position, where he can already call on Rodri.
“City remain dependent on the Spaniard. This season, they have lost all three of the Premier League games he has missed, their struggles without him showing why, when he is available, he invariably starts.
“Phillips was determined to change Guardiola’s mind, insisting on staying last summer and fighting for his place. But it was telling that, even when Rodri was unavailable in the first half of the campaign, Phillips was overlooked. The writing was on the wall.”
Read more about why Phillips could shine again in different surroundings
Follow the January transfer window
The winter transfer window is open and will close at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Thursday 1 February.
To ensure harmonisation with the major leagues in Europe, the closing dates were set following discussions with the EFL, DFL, Serie A, LaLiga, and LFP, who will all close their summer and winter windows on 1 September and 1 February respectively.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms, while you can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News, including daily transfer shows, and listen to our Transfer Talk podcast.
Source : Sky Sports
