{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Fabrizio Romano shares Declan Rice twist in West Ham United bid for Kalvin Phillips
West Ham United could make a summer move for Kalvin Phillips if Declan Rice leaves the club, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Speaking on his Daily Briefing this Monday (13 February) the transfer guru claimed the Hammers are not currently working on a deal but that could change upon Rice’s exit.
He said, “West Ham are not working on signing Kalvin Phillips at this stage but we have to see how they will act if or when Declan Rice will leave. We also need to see what Pep Guardiola and Man City will decide on Phillips’ future.”
Phillips has had a worried time at The Etihad after joining City from Leeds in the summer, making just three Premier League appearances.
He has only made eight appearances for the Blues in total, missing a good chunk of the season with a shoulder injury that has haunted his entire career.
Big risk
Subscribe to Football Insider TV now
Replacing Rice is a real problem that West Ham need to address sooner rather than later. It is inevitable the England international will leave in the summer and there needs to be a shortlist of players ready to bid for when he is sold.
Phillips, on paper, looks like he could be a good fit. He and Rice do very similar jobs and fitting the Man City outcast into the side should be relatively smooth.
The issue comes when you look at his injury record. Phillips has already missed 54 days of action this season and missed a whopping 102 days of action during the second half of his final season at Leeds.
Phillips has not strung a run of games together since November 2021. It is now February 2023 and the club has to look for a more reliable player. Rice never misses a game, he has started every top-flight game for us so far this season. He is also four years younger than Phillips.
We cannot spend the big money it would presumably take to sign Phillips just to have him miss half a season.
Replacing Rice will be next to impossible but there are better options than a man who simply can’t stay fit and was called “overweight” by his manager earlier this season.