West Ham have lined up Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney as a replacement for Kalvin Phillips, according to Alan Nixon.
Nixon said on his own Patreon page [18 February] that Hammers scout Mick Brown saw Hackney up close last weekend.
Nottingham Forest are also thought to be interested, although West Ham might make a counter move if the 21-year-old continues to impress this season.
According to Nixon, Phillips’ dismal record since joining the Irons on loan from Manchester City has prompted the search for new possibilities.
West Ham must forget about permanent Kalvin Phillips signing
Phillips has now given away a couple of goals, played a part in a six-goal thrashing and been sent off across his first four West Ham games.
He was dubbed “a waste of space” after receiving a red card in the 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, which would prevent him from playing at home against Brentford.
When a player joins a team on loan in the middle of a season, it might take some time to adjust, but United paid a fair price to get him on board.
While he should not be written out completely based on the last few weeks, the Irons should not consider a permanent contract.
City are probably seeking for more than £35 million for the England international, which appears to be an absurd amount of money.
Instead, a young second-tier Hackney player appears to be the best option.
United have had good luck signing from Championship or relegated Premier League clubs, and Hackney might be the next to join the ranks.
If nothing else, the Phillips loan deal has saved the club a significant amount of money in future permanent transfer payments.
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