Aston Villa have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Football Insider report.
The Lowdown: Phillips links
Phillips, who Andrea Pirlo described as a ‘rock’ last summer, has been heavily linked with a summer switch to Villa in recent months.
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Reports in March suggested that Steven Gerrard’s side were leading the race for the England international and were willing to pay Leeds £60m and Phillips around £10m-a-year.
Leeds are now on the verge of relegation back to the Championship, which has led to a major update emerging on the star midfielder’s future and a possible Midlands move.
The Latest: Source shares update
FI shared a story regarding Phillips on Thursday lunchtime claiming he is now ready to quit Elland Road even if Jesse Marsch’s side stay up.
A Villa source informed the site that NSWE are now readying up an offer after being given such encouragement, with Phillips feeling now is the right time to move on.
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The Verdict: Record deal?
Should Leeds go down in the next ten days, then you’d like to think that their £60m valuation for Phillips could drop slightly. However, Villa could still smash their club record for Phillips in a deal worth over £35m.
Gerrard wants midfield reinforcements and a ‘specialist No.6’ this summer, and with Phillips a big admirer of the Villa boss, it seems as if a move is a real possibility.
Villa chiefs may well be hoping that the Whites drop back down to the second tier, making this a transfer to keep a close eye on over the coming weeks.
In other news: NSWE now close to agreeing deal for another midfielder alongside Coutinho.
