“Missed their shot” – Inside Barcelona’s failed January transfer hijack for Manchester City midfielder

Redaction Flinster Blake with Harry Winters
Published on 2024-02-08 12:00:00

Barcelona tried to derail West Ham’s loan deal for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who completed a short-term move to the London Stadium in January.

The 28-year-old made the move to West Ham despite interest from several other Premier League teams. Phillips, who had only made two starts for Manchester City before leaving the club, is looking to revive his career before the European Championships this summer, as his place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad is in jeopardy.

During his 18-month stint at Manchester City, Phillips made just six starts after joining the club for £42 million in July 2022.

Despite being part of Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning squad last season and winning the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, Phillips moved to West Ham to get more playing time. Since joining West Ham, he has made two appearances, starting against Bournemouth and featuring against Manchester United at Old Trafford last weekend.

Despite interest from a number of clubs such as Newcastle United, Tottenham, Fulham, Crystal Palace, and Juventus, West Ham secured a deal to sign Phillips.

Barcelona were also reportedly interested in signing Phillips for the rest of the season but as per Sport Witness, they were unable to sort out their finances in time. This gave West Ham the opportunity to secure the loan move for the midfielder.

The Catalan club ‘did not arrive in time’ to sign the Englishman and ‘missed their shot’, despite believing that the midfielder was a ‘good option’ to sign on loan.

Phillips’ future beyond the current season is uncertain, as West Ham is not obligated to buy the midfielder permanently for the 2024/25 campaign.

Read Original article on City Xtra