Jody Morris thinks Kalvin Phillips will be making a mistake if he secures a January move from Manchester City to David Moyes’ West Ham United.
Sources have told HITC Football that the London club have agreed terms with the Premier League title winners over a loan deal for Kalvin Phillips.
Now it’s a case of getting the deal over the line for a player who has struggled for minutes since he moved to the Etihad from Leeds United in 2022.
But Jody Morris thinks a move to West Ham United is too much of a step down for the midfielder, and instead, he should look at a team like Barcelona, as he told The Transfer Show on Sky Sports.
Kalvin Phillips was a key player for Leeds, including helping his boyhood club earn promotion, before that road led to England caps and his strong performance, alongside Declan Rice, at Euro 2020.
Understandably so, his stock started to rise, that’s why Man City were so keen to bring him on board, but after 911 minutes of football over two seasons, it’s pretty obvious that the writing is now on the wall for the ‘all-action’ player.
Even though the 28-year-old played very little for the all-dominant Man City, Morris still feels a move to West Ham isn’t the one he should be making.
West Ham set to sign Kalvin Phillips
“I am not so sure,” said Morris. “That’s no disrespect to West Ham or the amazing job David Moyes is doing there. They are sixth now. Amazing job by David Moyes.
“The only thing I would say about Kalvin Phillips. If you have gone to Man City, which is arguably the best footballing side in the world, okay you haven’t played, but that’s fair enough with the level of player they have.
“But I am not sure going to West Ham, if I was a Kalvin Phillips, would satisfy the level in which I want to play at.
“If I was him, then maybe I would look at playing abroad until the end of the season. I love Kalvin Phillips and I would love to see him in the Premier League. I would go Barca first, for me. The two Spanish teams (Barca and Atletico Madrid).”
Kalvin Phillips suits David Moyes
In terms of minutes, he will get it pretty much straight away at the London Stadium, so that’s a tick in the box.
Then you look at how Moyes sets up his team. He likes having two defensive-minded brains in the middle of the park.
Whilst new boy Edson Alvarez has done well since his summer move, you will assume Phillips can either play alongside him or instead of him.
But given that West Ham like to sit back and counter, then it will bring Phillips into the picture because his long-range passing, or balls over the top, will become very lethal for the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Co to run onto.
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