Karren Brady was in contact with Leeds United over late West Ham deal for Kalvin Phillips
Karren Brady was in touch with ex-West Ham ally Angus Kinnear over a £55million swoop for Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips, according to Sun journalist Alan Nixon.
Writing on The Sun website, Nixon reports that the Irons made a last-ditch bid to sign the 26-year-old midfielder on deadline day after their first £50million offer was declined.
It is understood that West Ham wanted Phillips to team up with England teammate Declan Rice and Nixon says: “Hammers insiders say the move started after the clubs met three weeks ago.”
Using their contacts
Kinnear is the managing director at Leeds United so it’s handy for West Ham to have someone who they know well on the inside at Elland Road.
However, it doesn’t help when you’re still offering lowball bids for a player who you do not really need.
West Ham do not need Phillips.
Yes, he’s a great player but we have Tomas Soucek alongside Rice in the heart of David Moyes’ midfield – we don’t need to upgrade on that.
However, we do need centre-backs, additions at full-back and, as we have done for three transfer windows now, a new centre-forward.
If the laboured 2-1 win over Kidderminster in the FA Cup showed anything on Saturday, it’s that Moyes’ squad outside of the starting line-up is not good enough at all.
Phillips would be a major signing for West Ham but if we were to make a bid for anyone at Elland Road, why wouldn’t it be for someone like Pascal Struijk or even Patrick Bamford?
Struijk is young and impressing at Leeds while he can play at left-back and as a centre-back. And while Bamford has been injured almost all season, he shouldn’t be back before too long and he’s a proven goalscorer more than most of our attackers.
In other West Ham news, Tom Davis slammed this Hammers star for being an “embarrassment” against Kidderminster.