West Ham United manager David Moyes could seal a transfer masterclass in the upcoming January window after Liverpool defender Nat Phillips admitted he's set to seek pastures new.

What's the story?

The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to east London in recent months after rising to prominence last season, filling in for the injured trio of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.

However, their return to full fitness coupled with the arrival of Ibrahima Konate has seen Phillips slip down the pecking order once again, limiting him to just three appearances throughout 2021/22.

As a result, he recently revealed to Sky Sports News that he's open to an Anfield exit over the coming months, and West Ham could be a potential destination.

"The manager and I agree that the best thing for me is to play as many games as possible. I think you saw last year I developed well," said Phillips.

"I'm going to see what comes along (in January) and go from there. I think at this moment in time, it's unlikely that I'll be playing lots of games for Liverpool, so if an opportunity arises where I get the chance to do that somewhere else, and it suits everyone, then it's certainly something I'd be interested in."

Transfer masterclass

With first-choice centre-backs Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna set for extensive spells on the sidelines after picking up serious injuries, Moyes must strengthen that position in January.

And Phillips is an ideal candidate to do just that. The £7.2m-rated gem has been labelled a “monster” on the pitch by Jurgen Klopp and also received praise from pundit Jamie Redknapp for his “unbelievable” performances in the league last term.

As per WhoScored, the 6 foot 2 beast averaged 1.7 tackles throughout 2020/21, two interceptions, 3.7 clearances and 1.3 blocks, while also winning four aerial duels.

These underlying numbers highlight his crucial role in Liverpool's highly-respectable third-place finish and indicate how Phillips could prove to be an extremely astute purchase for Moyes this winter.

If West Ham are to maintain their push for European football over the hectic festive schedule, then extra strength in depth will be required, and Phillips' arrival would certainly provide that in the heart of defence.

And, in other news...Forget Coufal: West Ham lightweight who lost possession 27x badly let Moyes down v AFC