Dean Smith Preparing Kalvin Phillips Bid ‘In the Next Few Weeks’

Kalvin Phillips was one of the first names linked to Villa this summer, and it looks likely that a bid will be placed.

Words by Regan Foy | @FindFoy

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Telegraph journalist John Percy, who is relatively accurate when it comes to Aston Villa, has revealed that Dean Smith is readying an official bid for Leeds United defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips ‘in the next few weeks’.

As Glenn Whelan and Mile Jedinak have been released by the club, it seems that Dean Smith is prioritising a defensive midfielder for Aston Villa in this window – and 23-year-old Phillips fits the mould that Dean Smith and Christian Purslow have previously mentioned.

The defensive midfielder, who can also play at centre-back has enjoyed fine form with Leeds this summer, despite his club not achieving promotion. He played 44 times for the Elland Road outfit, totalling over 3,500 minutes of football across the season.

Kalvin Phillips is highly thought of by Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa, and with exceptional characteristics such as being strong in the tackle and a wide-ranging passing ability – it sounds like he’s the perfect replacement for Glenn Whelan.

A product of the world-famous Leeds United academy, Phillips has made nearly 150 appearances for his hometown club, and Aston Villa may be hard pressed to tempt him away from Elland Road this summer.

The bid from Dean Smith is expected before the end of June, but Leeds are likely to hold out for around £20,000,000 before they agree to let a key member of their midfield leave as they try and build on a third placed finish.

It is thought that the initial bid from Aston Villa will be around £14,000,000 – so time will tell whether their initial foray for Phillips will prove succesful.