Aston Villa have clear transfer priority as Gerrard revives hopes of statement signing

Aston Villa are reigniting their interest in Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips ahead of another summer of spending, according to a report.

Aston Villa spent heavily in the 2021 summer transfer window, but Dean Smith couldn’t quite get a tune out of all the new arrivals. Steven Gerrard replaced him as manager and oversaw another busy transfer window in January.

Now, plans are already being made for the first summer with Gerrard at the helm. He is hoping to secure a top-half finish for the club for the first time in over a decade. After that, they will use the transfer window to try and develop further.

There are still some items on Gerrard’s shopping list that got away in the past. In January, he tried to bring in a new central midfielder, but faced a double setback. A bid for Brighton’s Yves Bissouma was rejected; another target, Rodrigo Bentancur, joined Tottenham Hotspur instead.

According to the Daily Mail, Villa will be back in for a midfielder in the summer. In doing so, they will turn their attention back further to one that got away in 2019.

Kalvin Phillips is the player in question after a previous attempt to take him from Leeds. He remained at Elland Road though to guide his hometown club to promotion to the Premier League.

Since then, Phillips has flourished further, becoming an England regular at Euro 2020. With Leeds’ Premier League status in doubt for next season, his future is at risk for them again.

Aston Villa interested in Kalvin Phillips if Leeds go down

Aston Villa targeting Kalvin Phillips this summer if Leeds United get relegated

The Mail claim Villa will try their luck for the 26-year-old again in the summer. By that point, he will have two years left on his Leeds contract, which he has admitted he is open to extending.

However, if there is no progress, it may be an ideal time for Leeds to cash in on their hometown hero.

Whether Villa will win the race remains to be seen. He could also become a target for clubs at the very top, like Liverpool. In fact, one agency has apparently approached him with the promise of engineering a move to Anfield.

Kalvin Phillips to be Aston Villa statement signing?

Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with Phillips.

If Villa can beat them to the deal, though, it would be a statement of intent. It could set up a major summer at Villa Park.

The report from the Mail reveals that also on the agenda for Villa will be a permanent deal for loanee Philippe Coutinho. The attacking midfielder has shown signs of resurgence since joining on temporary terms from Barcelona.

Villa have the option to buy Gerrard’s former teammate but only time will tell if they choose to, or try to negotiate the price.

In addition, the Mail report that Gerrard wants reinforcements at centre-back and full-back. There are no mentions of potential targets, however.

READ MORE: Gerrard formation change leaves £28m Aston Villa man seriously considering his future