West Ham: Ready to seal first January signing within days, £130,000-a-wk+ terms agreed – report Winner named in West Ham United, Newcastle United race to sign Manchester City star Kalvin Phillips, wages agreed
West Ham have beaten Newcastle and Crystal Palace to secure the services of Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper reports via its website on 20 January that the Hammers are not only willing to match his £130k/week wages but also paying bonuses to ensure he gets a pay hike.
The deal, which will be completed next week, is a loan until the end of the season, but it could be revisited in the summer to make it a permanent one.
Right call?
While it’s commendable to beat two Premier League rivals to a new signing, particularly when one of them has the riches like Newcastle does, it might not be worth blowing apart their wage structure.
Phillips, despite his talent, faces challenges such as limited playing time under Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, raising questions about his match sharpness for the remainder of the season.
Moreover, the England international’s history of injuries raises concerns about his reliability over the course of a loan spell.
Rather than going for a striker who can replace Michail Antonio, it does seem odd to see the Hammers prioritising another midfielder.
Lucas Paqueta may be playing on the left wing this term, but midfield is arguably the strongest area of the pitch for the Hammers with Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Tomas Soucek performing well.
The prospect of making Phillips perhaps the highest earner for a temporary deal risks disrupting squad dynamics and violating the team’s wage structure as well so this needs to be handled carefully.
In other West Ham news, a £50m FFP update has emerged on a midfielder linked with a move to the London Stadium.
