Aston Villa have reportedly made Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips their priority this summer, with Manchester United also interested in the England international.
According to the Telegraph, Steven Gerrard’s side have their sights set on signing the 26-year-old this summer, with Leeds slapping a £60m price tag on Phillips as interest in the midfielder continues to intensify ahead of the summer.
The Leeds star has been to the Elland Road side since their return to the Premier League last season. Yet now there are growing concerns that Phillips could depart his boyhood club, with Villa one of the many clubs chasing the Three Lions star.
As per the report, Gerrard is eager to sign a defensive midfielder this summer, a position Villa have struggled to fill ever since their promotion back up to the top flight in 2019, and Phillips could be the perfect player for the job.
The midfielder starred in the role for England at Euro 2020 last summer. And for Leeds, Phillips has made the position his own, with Marcelo Bielsa training the 26-year-old to operate in the area perfectly.
Indeed, whilst Villa are willing to front up the £60m transfer fee for the Leeds star, interest from bigger clubs, such as United, could tempt Phillips to move to a more established side, which could be a huge blow for Gerrard’s side this summer.
Villa project is not tempting enough for Phillips to leave Leeds
Given the quality of a player like Phillips, a move to a top-six club or a side that have shown aspirations of Europe would be the perfect next step for the Leeds star, and this is something Villa have just not shown.
Whilst there’s no denying the size of the West Midlands-based club, Villa is hardly a step-up for Phillips, who is more than ready for a big leap this summer from Leeds in what could be one of the most interesting transfer sagas of the transfer window.
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