Aston Villa Leading The Race For This English Midfielder: What Will He Add To Gerrard’s Side? | OneFootball

In a recent report, The Times mentioned that Aston Villa are leading the race for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips. It has been revealed that the Villans are willing to pay £60m to acquire the services of the English midfield ace in the summer.

Phillips’ Injury Ravaged Season In English Football

Phillips is experiencing an up and down season at the West Yorkshire club as he has missed a lot of games for them due to a serious hamstring injury. The Leeds-born talent has found the back of the net once and grabbed one assist in 15 matches for the Whites during this campaign across all competitions.

The 26-year-old has been a consistent performer at the heart of the Leeds midfield based on his average of 2.3 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 1.0 clearances, 1.0 shots and 0.6 key passes per game in the Premier League. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball from midfield as he has completed 82.9% of his attempted passes in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).

LEEDS, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Kalvin Phillips of Leeds United leaves the pitch injured during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Brentford at Elland Road on December 05, 2021 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

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What Will Phillips Add To Aston Villa Boss Steven Gerrard’s Side?

Phillips is a tough-tackling midfielder who can scan the danger quickly to secure possession back at the centre of the park. He usually clears the danger when the opposition are on the offensive and loves to play his way out of midfield.

The English midfield ace will be a good fit for Aston Villa‘s playing style and could grow into a future superstar under the guidance of Steven Gerrard.

At 26, Phillips’ best years are ahead of him, so the Villans would be wise to engineer a move to bring him to Villa Park when the transfer window commences at the end of this campaign.

We can expect the Leeds United sensation to add some quality to Gerrard’s midfield and increase competition for places within his match-day squad. Furthermore, the English midfield ace has the skillset to help the Villans push for a European place in the coming seasons. All in all, it makes a lot of sense for the West Midlands outfit to follow up on their interest by orchestrating a move to land Phillips in the off-season.