West Ham United ‘keen to explore’ swap deal for Declan Rice and Man City ace Kalvin Phillips
West Ham are “keen to explore” a deal involving Declan Rice going to Manchester City and Kalvin Phillips going in the other direction, according to ESPN.
The publication notes that Hammers manager David Moyes tried to sign Phillips when the player was at Leeds United.
Phillips joined Manchester City from the Whites last summer but made just 21 appearances in all competitions this season.
“Sources have told ESPN that West Ham are keen to explore a deal for Rice with City that would see Kalvin Phillips move to the London Stadium.
“Phillips struggled for opportunities in his first season at the Etihad but has said he wants to stay and fight for his place. West Ham boss David Moyes previously tried to sign Phillips during his time at Leeds United.”
Exciting prospect
Everyone at West Ham will be distraught the day that Rice leaves the London Stadium, with that day looking increasingly likely of arriving this summer.
The midfielder has been a superb servant for the club over the years and is fully deserving of a move to a top-tier Premier League or European team, one that is constantly challenging for the very best trophies that football has to offer.
But Phillips is also a talented midfielder, and the former Leeds man definitely wouldn’t be the worst option for the Hammers to pursue in the coming months to fill that Rice gap.
His future at Manchester City is up in the air after a season in which he largely spent on the substitute bench, watching on for the most part as his teammates clinched the treble.
More playing time could arrive at the Etihad next season, but such a scenario is hard to predict, and possibly hard to imagine, with Pep Guardiola potentially delving into the transfer market to sign midfield reinforcements.