Premier League newcomers Aston Villa have not accepted defeat yet in their quest to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, it has been reported.
The Villans have now placed a bid of £15 million after their offer of £10 million was rejected by the Whites, it has been reported by the Daily Star.
It is believed that Leeds United have slapped a price tag of £30 million on the midfielder as they are desperate to keep him.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side will once again attempt to secure promotion to the English top-flight, and Phillips is seen as a key cog in the team’s hopes of promotion.
It has been reported that Aston Villa are willing to offer him £60,000-a-week in wages as a bait to lure him to Villa Park before the transfer window shuts down on Thursday.
The midfielder has a couple of years on his current contract with the Championship outfit, and the club have decided to increase his wages if he decides to remain at Elland Road.
Phillips started in Leeds’ 3-1 win against Bristol City earlier today, and even though he doesn’t have top-flight experience, he has been seen as a talented player who could make the transition to the top-flight,
Why Aston Villa must push for Phillips
Phillips was as a player reborn under the tutelage of Bielsa last season. Instead of using him centrally in midfield, Bielsa used him as a ball-playing defensive midfielder to add steel to his side’s midfield.
The 23-year-old not only protected the defence, but also acted as that link for his side to make transitions from defence to attack. Most importantly, he was consistent, which is why he is a wanted commodity.
Phillips mustered 44 appearances in the Championship last season, and managed 2.6 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game on an average, which is impressive.
Owing to his high work ethic and strong physical presence, the Englishman could fit well at Aston Villa.
Moreover, he is good at retaining the ball and having done well in Bielsa’s all-action set-up, he will not find it hard to adapt to the style under Dean Smith.
Aston Villa have already spent close to £150million to sign as many as twelve players to improve their squad. Although Smith’s side appear to be almost ready to face the elite clubs in England, Phillips could be the final piece of the jigsaw.