Kevin Phillips has signalled that Aston Villa signing Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones would be a ‘big coup’ for the Midlands outfit, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa were interested in Jones this summer

Jones registered nine goal contributions in 34 appearances last term, with four goals and five assists as he featured regularly for Jurgen Klopp's side [Transfermarkt].

In light of this, late summer interest presented itself from Aston Villa, with reports of the club readying a £15m bid towards the end of the transfer window [Daily Express].

The prospect of the 20-year-old pitching up at Villa Park has now prompted the club's former striker Phillips to drop his insight on the situation.

The Latest: Signing Jones 'would be a big coup' for Aston Villa

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Football Insider, Phillips was very complimentary over the impact the youngster could have at Aston Villa if he were to make the move, claiming:

“It would be a big coup if they can get a player like Jones out of that Liverpool side.

“He performed in that team last season so he would be a massive signing for Dean Smith and the supporters.

“Jones certainly has a lot of quality. He has played in big games for a big club so he would not be overawed by a move.

“It would be a really exciting signing for the fans because it is probably an area they would like to see another player come in.

“He has similar attributes to Grealish. Every team in the Premier League wants a ball carrying midfielder and he is certainly a player that can do that.”

The Verdict: Aston Villa should continue monitoring Jones

With Jones possessing the quality to dictate play in midfield, Phillips builds an excellent case for Aston Villa to keep their attentions firmly on acquiring the 20-year-old, whose apparent similarities to Jack Grealish might go a long way to helping Villa supporters get over the enormous loss of the England playmaker to Manchester City.

Carrying himself with distinction in the Premier League last season, Jones managed a passing accuracy rate of 92.2% over the campaign [WhoScored]. The best that any player who started a league game for Villa in 2020/21 could do was 87.2% from Conor Hourihane [WhoScored].

Jones' defensive attributes shouldn’t go under the radar when assessing his capabilities, either. Last season, the 6 foot 1 maestro managed to successfully complete 80 ball recoveries [Premier League], in sync with Dean Smith’s preference to adopt a hard press across the pitch.

Aston Villa should look to continue keeping an eye on the 20-year-old’s situation as the season progresses.

In other news, Aston Villa are eyeing a move for a Serie A ace in January. Find out more here.