While Kalvin Phillips’ loan at West Ham United has not gone as planned, Newcastle may be feeling vindicated in their choice to make the transfer.
Long-term interest in Phillips has been connected to the Magpies. That grew more intense when it was revealed that he might be made available by Manchester City on a loan during the January transfer window.
According to ChronicleLive, Newcastle did express initial interest, but subsequent inquiries were not pursued. After a while, the England midfielder signed a loan deal with West Ham United, whereupon the Hammers paid a loan fee to City, covered the player’s wages for the rest of the season, and included a buyout option.
But things aren’t quite going as planned for Phillips at the London Stadium right now. He made a mistake in the first three minutes of his debut against Bournemouth, allowing Dominic Solanke to give the Cherries the lead.
After that, Phillips was benched for the Premier League matches against Arsenal and Manchester United, substituting in the second half of the 3-0 and 6-0 defeats, respectively. He was back in the starting lineup for the match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but he had yet another forgettable afternoon.
The 28-year-old was given a second yellow card in the 71st minute, three minutes after being sent off by the referee in the first place. After pushing Nicolas Dominguez off the ball and receiving a first booking, he tripped Morgan Gibbs-White and received a second yellow card.
West Ham’s Premier League winless streak now stands at six games after a 2-0 loss at the City Ground. Some placards in the away end demanded the dismissal of manager David Moyes.
Due to his red card, Phillips will be suspended for the Premier League encounter at the London Stadium on Monday against Brentford. But the next Sunday, when the squad plays Everton at Goodison Park, he will be eligible for selection.
Phillips might also play on March 30 when West Ham visits St. James’ Park to play Newcastle. In October, the rematch resulted in a 2-2 draw, with both Newcastle goals coming from Alexander Isak in the second half.