West Ham United have been heavily linked with signing Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips this week but David Moyes may already have a dream alternative in Oliver Scarles.
Could West Ham sign Phillips?
According to journalist Ben Jacobs in an exclusive interview with TEAMtalk, the Hammers are resigned to losing Declan Rice to a Champions League side this summer and want to replace him with former Leeds United star Phillips.
Rice has long made it clear that he wants to be playing at the top level and with the Hammers currently occupying a relegation spot in the Premier League, it is clear that he won't achieve that dream with his boyhood club.
Therefore, Moyes will need a replacement defensive midfielder in his side and given that Phillips was heavily linked while he was still at Leeds, it makes sense that the Hammers would be interested after his time with City hasn't gone to plan.
The England international has been limited to just 56 minutes of Premier League action so far this campaign, with injury and fitness issues preventing him from establishing himself in Pep Guardiola's side.
If the Hammers were to recruit the version of Phillips who averaged an impressive 7.01 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the 2020/21 season, then he would no doubt be a great addition at the London Stadium.
However, if they were to get this year's version, or even last season's when he averaged a far less impressive 6.57 rating across just 20 top-flight appearances, then he could prove to be another waste of money by the Hammers.
Therefore, Moyes should instead be looking towards the academy for potential replacements for Rice and could find his ideal heir in Scarles, who has already appeared for the first team this season despite being just 17.
Who is Ollie Scarles?
The teenager was called up by Moyes for the Europa Conference League tie against FCSB and impressed the Scottish manager with his performances, emphasising his versatility as he featured as a left wing-back.
Moyes said: “The left wing-back Ollie Scarles did really, really well tonight. I thought his deliveries for the balls in the box and his general all-round play for a 16-year-old were very good.
“He’s young, he’s only really come on the scene in the last few months, so he’s one of the young ones. We knew about him but you never think they are going to come on, but we’ve been pleased.
“We think he’s stylish on the ball, he’s composed, but he’s got a lot of growing to do, and he has a 16-year-old body at the moment.”
Scarles has featured predominantly as a centre-back and defensive-midfielder with the U18s this season, two roles Phillips is accustomed to playing in, and it is positional versatility which perhaps makes him such a hot prospect in West Ham's long-term thinking.
If he can replicate his performances with the academy, where he has two goals and five assists in 14 U18 Premier League appearances this season, then he will no doubt be a great player for West Ham in the future, and they might consider promoting him rather than spending big money on the injury-prone Phillips.