West Ham still want to sign Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips despite recent injury
West Ham will still try to sign Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips in January after he suffered a fractured cheekbone, according to the Evening Standard.
The Hammers were linked with a move for the 24-year-old in the summer [Sky Sports] and reignited their interest in November [The Sun].
However, the injury Phillips suffered against AC Milan in the Champions League last week (7 December) threatened to derail David Moyes’ transfer plans.
The Evening Standard claim that the deal is still on though, with the defender expected to return to fitness by early to mid-January.
The report adds that West Ham will need to pay the Reds £10million for Phillips.
Much-needed addition
West Ham will be desperate to sign a new centre-back in January, so it is no surprise that they are pushing ahead with a deal for Phillips.
Injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma have left Craig Dawson and Issa Diop as the only options at David Moyes’s disposal in that area.
They are by no means bad players, but it is not exactly the centre-back pairing you want to help you push for a place in the top four.
Phillips helped Liverpool achieve Champions League qualification last season, performing admirably in defence in the absence of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
With those players returning, and Ibrahima Konate arriving at Anfield in the summer, the 24-year-old has fallen down the pecking order and is yet to make a Premier League appearance this season.
He has made one League Cup appearance and two in the Champions League, with the Evening Standard describing his performance against Milan last week as “superb”.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers want to sign a highly-rated and in-form striker January.
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