£43m midfielder says Arsenal player was encouraging him to leave Man City in January

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Published on 2024-02-09 08:45:00

Kalvin Phillips received advice to leave Manchester City in January from a player at Arsenal. Phillips had a difficult 18 months at City after moving from Leeds United. Despite his intention to fight for his place, he left City in January to join West Ham United on loan. Phillips could have left City in the summer prior to this, but he chose to stay and fight for a spot, a decision that ultimately didn’t pay off, seeing as he only saw 318 minutes of action at City.

England teammate, Declan Rice advised him to pick West Ham as his next destination. Rice, who spent his early career at the London Stadium, spoke highly of the club. Phillips indicated, “I know Dec quite well and spoke to him before moving to West Ham because you’ll love it there and have an amazing time because they’ve got great people.”

Even though Rice and Mark Noble spoke highly of West Ham, it’s uncertain whether Phillips made the right move. West Ham has a wealth of talent in the midfield and it’s possible that Phillips may not be a regular starter. Despite being a chance for Phillips to see more playing time than he did at City, especially seeing how his form hasn’t been great in his two appearances for West Ham so far, different possibilities exist. With established, quality players frequently starting matches, Phillips may struggle to get a look in. Phillips has struggled in his two appearances for the Hammers and this might not have been his best move.

Read Original article on Manchester City News