West Ham United supporters might feel a bit gloomy following Manchester United’s comprehensive victory at Old Trafford, but the Hammers’ defeat was actually the first in seven Premier League matches.
Nonetheless, David Moyes’ side have yet to taste victory in 2024 and crashed out of the FA Cup at the hand of Bristol City in January, with Lucas Paqueta’s injury compounding the woes, the Brazilian not expected back for several weeks still.
Moyes attempted to sign a new forward in January but failed in that endeavour, and while his side did pull off the loan signing of Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City, the 28-year-old might not have been the perfect player to have pursued.
West Ham missed out on Morten Frendrup
West Ham wrapped up the short-term signing of Phillips last month in what has added some mettle and experience to the centre of the park.
The east London outfit are seventh in the Premier League and awaiting the last 16 of the Europa League; there is much on the line for last term’s Europa Conference League champions.
However, West Ham seem to have prioritised the England international over Genoa star Morten Frendrup, said to be among a host of English outfits interested in a deal for the Dane, with a figure of €10m (roughly £9m) mooted.
Earlier in January, there were reports that City had slapped a £6m loan fee on Phillips’ signature, and given that West Ham are also covering the entirety of his £140k-per-week wages, it’s certainly one of the more expensive loan deals in recent memory.
How Frendrup compares to Phillips
While Phillips eclipses Frendrup in terms of experience, product, and silverware, he has not started life in London well and has been at fault for two goals across his two Hammers appearances thus far.
Frendrup, in comparison, is 22 years old and has been sensational in Serie A this season, averaging four tackles and six ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore, while winning 66% of his contested duels and succeeding with 65% of his dribbles.
As per FBref, Frendrup ranks among the top 10% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for tackles and the top 22% for blocks and interceptions per 90, dubbed a “midfielder destroyer” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his work. It’s evident that, unlike Phillips, this master of his craft has all the tools to go on and still become an elite talent.
Fulham’s tough-tackling machine Joao Palhinha averages 4.7 tackles per fixture in the Premier League this year, so it’s clear that Frendrup could be shaped into a star of similar stature.
With age on his side and an affordable price tag, it’s possibly a mistake that West Ham did not forge ahead with a deal before he likely rises to the fore and attracts more lucrative attention down the line.
Phillips could yet cement himself as a starring member of Moyes’ side but his maladroit rustiness over the past two matches has hardly evoked confidence from the Irons faithful.
