Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa reportedly wanted Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United in the summer transfer window.
Kalvin Phillips is one of the best players in the Championship, and there is no surprise that Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa were among the Premier League clubs who reportedly wanted to sign the Leeds United central midfielder in the summer transfer window.
According to The Mirror, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Bournemouth all wanted the 23-year-old this summer.
The Yorkshire Evening Post also claimed that Villa – who won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League at the end of last season – had an offer of £20 million turned down by Leeds.
Nothing materialised, and Phillips stayed at Leeds, and the central midfielder – who can also operate as a central defender – recently signed a new contract and committed his long-term future to the West Yorkshire outfit.
The 23-year-old has reflected on the speculation on his future in the summer, and he has explained how he coped with the situation.
Phillips told Leeds Live regarding how he coped with the speculation: “Left the country for three weeks. Stayed off my phone. Didn’t want to go on social media, didn’t want to speak to anyone else from other clubs.”
The midfielder added: “Always want to go up, but it’s hard to turn away from my hometown club. Felt if I left I would just be going to playing or maybe not playing.
“At a club where I’m loved, manager likes me, family loves the club. Always want to be in the PL, but open my eyes to the bigger picture.”
Phillips staying at Leeds and signing a new contract is a massive boost to Marcelo Bielsa’s side’s chances of finishing in the top two of the Championship table this season.
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