'The worst' - Newcastle United told they avoided disastrous January transfer signing

Former Newcastle United transfer target Kalvin Phillips has been described as one of the worst players to play for West Ham United as the midfielder continues to struggle during his loan spell at the London Stadium.

The Magpies were heavily linked with a move for the England international during the summer transfer window and there were some suggestions that interest remained alive during January as the United hierarchy looked to boost Eddie Howe’s midfield options. However, Newcastle’s ongoing battle with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations coupled with Manchester City’s demands for a significant loan fee and coverage of Phillips’ wages meant a deal remained out of reach.

Phillips eventually joined West Ham in the final days of the transfer window but his temporary spell with David Moyes’ got off to a poor start as he made a high profile error in a 1-1 home draw with Bournemouth. That set to the tone for the early weeks of Phillips’ time as a Hammer and he was roundly criticised for his display in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with struggling Burnley as the midfielder was replaced at half-time with his side two goals down.

Hammers supporters wasted little time in signalling their annoyance over Phillips’ latest below-par performance via social media. One fan posted: ”Kalvin Phillips is so, so, so bad. Nobody did any due diligence on that transfer” and another added: "Kalvin Phillips hooked at half time trailing 2-0 against Burnley. Been awful since going to West Ham. Surely Southgate won't take him to the Euros [Euro 2024] this summer?”.

Another sad: "I know it's stating the obvious but just how bad is Kalvin Phillips? He has been atrocious and should be nowhere near our starting 11. Terrible player. A disaster” and a fellow supporter said: "My God Kalvin Phillips is awful. Imagine if he gets in the England squad."

However, the most severe criticism came as one fan posted: "Kalvin Phillips is one of the worst footballers I've seen play for West Ham."