Aston Villa are reportedly prepared to fork out a club-record £60 million to sign Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United in the summer transfer window.

According to a report by Daily Telegraph, Aston Villa’s wealthy owners could make a statement of sorts in the summer transfer window as they plot an ambitious £60 million raid on Leeds United midfield general Kalvin Phillips.

Steven Gerrard has identified midfield as an area that he would look to strengthen this summer as he continues to assess his team before the end of the season. The Liverpool legend wants someone who can screen the back four and boasts those progressive qualities to move Aston Villa up the pitch.

One man who clearly fits the bill and boasts those attributes is Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who has emerged as Gerrard’s priority target to bring to Villa Park ahead of next season. And with Aston Villa ready to back Gerrard in the transfer market, it has been outlined that they would be prepared to shell out a club-record £60 million fee to secure his services ahead of the stiff competition.

Phillips has seen his reputation soar in the last few years at Elland Road and has had a meteoric rise since the Whites returned to the Premier League two years ago. To date, the 26-year-old has racked up 227 competitive appearances for Leeds across all competitions, chipping in with 14 goals and 13 assists along the way.

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His glowing performances even earned him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, forming a fantastic midfield partnership alongside Declan Rice at last summer’s UEFA Euro 2020 as England made it to the final.

However, the talented midfielder’s growth has been hindered this season, as he has faced major injury struggles. Contracted until the summer of 2024, speculations over Phillips’s long-term future have ramped up recently, with Leeds desperate to tie their homegrown starlet down to fresh lucrative terms.

But the talks over a new deal have now stalled, and Leeds could now face a real battle to hang onto the 26-year-old, with a whole host of Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Liverpool and West Ham United, in the race to sign him.

As such, Aston Villa are well aware of Phillips’s qualities, having failed to secure his signature in 2019 despite tabling a £25 million bid in front of Leeds. They will make another attempt to sign him this summer, with Gerrard keen to bolster the midfield department, especially given the uncertain futures of Douglas Luiz and Carney Chukwuemeka.

To that end, Phillips would be a phenomenal signing for the Villans and a huge coup if they could get it over the line. He would also be a massive upgrade on Luiz as he has the quality to be Gerrard’s talisman. His ability to control games, break up the play and provide exceptional diagonal passes are some of his standout traits.

However, considering Leeds’s desire to keep their midfield talisman, it is expected that facilitating a move for Phillips will be difficult. Else, Phillips is not the only midfielder that has been shortlisted by the Midlands club, with Brighton enforcer Yves Bissouma still on their radar.

Comments 1

  1. Dean says:

    Dream on

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