Aston Villa 'ready to pay £60million' for Manchester United target - Reports

Aston Villa are preparing an ambitious move for Manchester United target Kalvin Phillips, according to The Daily Mail. The Leeds United midfielder is in demand right now and has been linked with a host of clubs.

The aforementioned report states that Manchester United are huge admirers of the 26-year-old but a move to Old Trafford is seen as 'impossible' due to their historic rivalry with Leeds United. It also mentions that both West Ham United and Newcastle United are interested in the services of the midfield dynamo.

As per talkSPORT, the Hammers had a massive £50 million bid turned down for the England international in January. Aston Villa are currently leading the pack for Phillips' signature, and the Lions are prepared to offer an enormous £60 million fee for his services.

Steven Gerrard is desperate to bolster his options in the middle of the park and made a futile attempt to sign Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma in January. However, the Liverpool legend has switched his focus to his compatriot Kalvin Phillips for the summer.

Phillips has struggled with a hamstring injury this campaign and has been restricted to just 12 Premier League appearances so far this season. The 26-year-old is contracted at Elland Road until the summer of 2024 but could be on his way out in the summer.

New Leeds manager Jesse Marsch has stated his intentions to keep Phillips, Patrick Bamford and Raphinha for 'as long as possible' as per the report. However, he will know that keeping either Phillips or Raphinha beyond the summer will be an uphill task, especially if they fail to avoid relegation.

Notably, Phillips is a Leeds academy graduate and made his senior team debut in 2015. He has made 226 appearances for the club across competitions and played an important part in the Whites gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2020 after 16 years.

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Manchester United and Aston Villa both need midfield reinforcements

Both Manchester United and Aston Villa could do with a player of Kalvin Phillips' caliber in the middle of the park.

The Red Devils have been lacking both quality and depth in midfield for quite some time. Things could get worse if Paul Pogba departs the club with his contract expiring this summer.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, are still in the process of finding their feet under new manager Steven Gerrard. The 41-year-old has largely used the trio of Jacob Ramsay, John McGinn and Douglas Luiz and could do with more quality and depth in midfield.