The prospect of playing with Declan Rice will be ‘playing’ on the mind of West Ham United target Kalvin Phillips, according to journalist Dean Jones.
Phillips has been linked with a move to the London Stadium as the Hammers attempt to keep Rice at the club with speculation over the England midfielders’ futures continuing to mount.
What is the latest news involving Phillips?
According to The Sun, David Moyes is keen to reunite the Three Lions teammates at West Ham following the conclusion of the current campaign, who have each admitted they 'love' playing alongside one another.
The latest update comes after the capital club reportedly saw a £50 million bid rejected for Phillips late on in the January transfer window by Leeds.
However, the Whites are embroiled in a relegation battle that is set to go down to the last game of the season, and it’s claimed that the 26-year-old is one of several stars to have a release clause in his contract should Leeds return to the Championship.
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West Ham are set to face stiff competition for Phillips’ signature, though, with The Times claiming that Aston Villa are prepared to pay £60m to prise him away from his boyhood club.
Yet the Irons will be able to offer European football next term following another impressive campaign under Moyes, making them an attractive potential suitor.
What has Jones said about Phillips?
Like Phillips, Rice has caught the eye of several sides and is yet to agree terms on a new contract, but Jones believes the Leeds ace could be tempted by the prospect of linking up with his international colleague at club level.
He told GiveMeSport: “At a time when West Ham are talking about potentially trying to bring him in and trying to convince Rice to stay by partnering him with his England teammate, things like that will be playing on his mind.
“And he'll be wondering, ‘where else could I be playing? Could I be playing European football?’”
Do West Ham need Phillips?
Club captain Mark Noble is set to retire following Sunday’s season finale, while loanee Alex Kral is expected to return to his parent club after a hugely underwhelming 12 months.
That would leave Rice and Tomas Soucek as the only natural central midfielders in Moyes’ first-team squad, something that would need to be addressed over the summer.
Phillips, with 233 senior appearances under his belt and a proven record in the Premier League, would be a valuable addition to West Ham’s ranks and could convince Rice to stick around a little while longer.