West Ham begins negotiations with a £150k-per-week “beast” who would flourish under Smith Rowe

After 20 games, West Ham United is comfortably positioned in sixth place in the Premier League, ahead of teams like Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, and Newcastle United. West Ham United has been playing well this season once again.

Although there are some complaints regarding David Moyes’ conservative tactical approach, the Scottish manager has prospered in east London throughout his time there.

Now, he’s looking to bolster at the term’s midpoint, providing the squad with fresh tools to sculpt success over the business end.

West Ham eyeing Premier League stars

Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal and Kalvin Phillips of Manchester City are two Premier League players that West Ham is interested in signing on loan this month, according to a recent report from the Guardian.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that despite the creative midfielder’s limited playing time over the last 18 months, the Gunners are hesitant to let him go. Although negotiations have already taken place over a deal for the former Leeds United player, Phillips might be a good choice to bolster the engine room as he looks to leave the Etihad Stadium after a lackluster and peripheral stay.

At this point, City would consider a loan move but would expect a £6 million payment; whether Irons chairman David Sullivan approves of such an expenditure will probably become apparent in the next few days.

How Kalvin Phillips would fit in at West Ham

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed Phillips as a “Rolls-Royce” midfielder. City acquired Phillips from Leeds for £45 million in 2022 after he was instrumental in the Whites’ promotion from the Championship and subsequent success in the Premier League.

His stint in Manchester hasn’t gone well; he has only made two Premier League starts thus far and hasn’t been able to establish a starting spot on a consistent basis.

He is still a very gifted player with a ton of elite league experience, and the fact that England manager Gareth Southgate continues to select him for international play speaks volumes about his value and ability.

According to FBref, the £150,000-per-week player is in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for passes attempted and completed, in the top 8% for shots attempted, in the top 11% for clearances, and in the top 18% for aerial wins per ninety.

Since Smith Rowe is a creative energy player with a gliding gait that makes him a valuable offensive asset for his side, splitting the lines and stretching teams, and has been hailed by pundit Jamie Carragher as “the best player in the Premier League running [with] the ball,” Phillips may be the ideal player to work well with him given his wide range of standout qualities.

Despite being sidelined since the beginning of the previous season, the £40,000-per-week Arsenal player has previously shown off his skills in the Premier League, scoring ten goals and providing two assists from just 21 starts in the 2021–2022 campaign. To go along with this, he completed 87% of his passes and succeeded in 60% of his dribbles.

As Nigel de Jong has stated, with Phillips trailing him and contributing with his deft and astute passing while displaying his “beast” presence in the middle of the pitch, the pair may offer the right combination of toughness and style to propel the Hammers’ exploits in the upcoming months.