Why Barcelona have not followed through on transfer interest in Man City outcast Kalvin Phillips as West Ham close in on England international - explained

Manchester City signed the midfielder from Leeds United for a reported sum of €49m in the summer of 2022 with the sight of having him provide a different skill set as a defensive midfielder than Rodri. However, injuries and a lack of rhythm have rendered him unused. It had been reported that the Catalan club were interested in Phillips but as per Fabrizio Romano, that is no longer the case and West Ham are closing in on securing a loan deal for the England international.

The reason for the Blaugrana pulling back from the deal has been explained by Romano. He has reported that it is due to the La Liga outfit's financial constraints and wage limit issues. He explained that even a loan move for Phillips would have affected the club beyond the limits, hence they decided to pull out of the race for his signature.

"Barca would not be able to afford it. We have to find a way to compete. We are in one of the most difficult situations in the club's history," Xavi told reporters during Wednesday's press conference [via SportsMole]. "I have encountered difficulties from day one. I am a Cule and I want to pull the cart. I'm the first to encourage the players. It's complicated but we are competing."

The 28-year-old has been heavily linked with a loan move to the Hammers as David Moyes has requested fortifications to his squad in the winter transfer window. Manchester City will next be in action when they take on Tottenham Hotspur on Friday, January 26.