Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is considering forfeiting as much as £17.5million in order to secure a mid-season Etihad exit.
That’s according to recent reports, which claim the England international has accepted he will not get the playing time he needs under Pep Guardiola and could force through a January transfer in an effort to secure his place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of next summer’s European Championship.
The three clubs most linked with the former Leeds United ace are Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and David Moyes’ West Ham.
Although the race to sign the wantaway midfielder remains wide open, West Ham’s recent track record of rebuilding their midfield following Declan Rice’s summer exit to Arsenal could prove decisive in convincing the Yorkshire-born star to make the switch down to London.
Since the start of last season with the Cityzens, Phillips, who is valued at £28 million and has five years left on his deal, has started just two Premier League games. An early exit would see him sacrifice a large portion of his £150,000-per week wages, but according to these latest reports, that is something he is happy to see happen in return for regular playing time.