In the wake of Fulham’s alleged interest in West Ham loanee Kalvin Phillips, another Premier League team, Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Phillips’ future.
Since signing a short-term contract with the Irons during the January transfer window, the England international has had difficulty.
Although Phillips’ parent club, Manchester City, does not seem to have much need for him, West Ham is not anticipated to press for a long-term contract.
“It’s not been the easiest season for Kalvin Phillips, who struggled for playing time at Manchester City and is now failing to impress on loan at West Ham,” Romano wrote in an update on his Daily Briefing page on April 8.
“As things stand, I don’t think Phillips will be a long-term West Ham player. There probably will be more choices and solutions.
Romano continued, saying that there has been no firm decision made on Phillips’ future and that connections with Fulham and his previous team, Leeds United, are “premature” at this time.
Kalvin Phillips has played for Man City how many times?
Although Phillips was only signing on a loan, West Ham still had to put aside a sizeable sum of money to fund the agreement, so they took a bit of a risk when they signed him during the January transfer window.
Just 31 times has Phillips made an appearance for Man City since moving from Leeds in a high-profile transaction almost two years ago; most of those appearances came as substitutes and in cup games.
The loan arrangement has served as a sort of trial period, which is a plus. However, based on the events of the last several months, it is reasonable to conclude that Phillips has failed the trial.
The English midfielder may have questioned whether it would have been better for him to have stayed on the Man City bench after giving up goals, penalties, getting sent off, and even having a public argument with a fan.
While it is regrettable that Phillips’ career has not progressed, he still has a chance to turn things around this summer. The issue is that a lot of teams won’t want to pay what Man City is requesting.
At least West Ham is aware that they have escaped with their lives, and they can now permanently bring in a superior replacement before the upcoming campaign.
