Kalvin Phillips could help Aston Villa reach European stage if he rekindles vintage Leeds United form
Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips could be the man to help Aston Villa in their push for European football under the reign of Unai Emery.
According to Football Insider (10 April), the 27-year-old is on Aston Villa’s list of potential summer signings, with Emery wanting to sign a top-class signing capable of running the midfield next campaign.
The Spanish coach already has French international Boubacar Kamara and Douglas Luiz to control proceedings in the middle of the park but possesses little depth behind these two players.
Kamara’s injury absence over the last month has highlighted Villa’s need for further midfield reinforcements, with centre-back Calum Chambers having to slot into this unfamiliar role against Chelsea and, most recently, John McGinn filling this void.
If the West Midlands club want to reach the upper echelons of the Premier League as well as perform on the European stage they will added depth in almost every department, with midfield posing the most cause for concern.
Villa were heavily linked with former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi in the January transfer window, and Phillips is a similar player of this ilk. [Evening Standard, 11 January]
The former Whites player, who sealed a £45million move to Manchester City last summer, has not settled into life under Pep Guardiola, amassing a meagre 65 minutes of Premier League action this season.
Although this has been partly down to several injury issues, the England international has struggled to impact proceedings even when called from the bench.
If Phillips can rekindle his form of 2021/22 at Elland Road, he looks the perfect fit for Emery’s Aston Villa side.
Considering Villa are after a defensively-minded midfielder who is strong in the tackle but equally comfortable on the ball, Phillips ticks a lot of boxes.
According to the stats on WhoScored, during Phillips’ 2021/22 season at Leeds United, he completed 2.7 tackles per appearance – which is superior to Kamara’s 2.5, Luiz’s 1.9 and Dendoncker’s average of 0.7 this term.
The former Whites player also recorded 1.2 interceptions per outing, which is over 50% higher than Dendoncker’s average and again more than Villa’s first-choice midfield duo.
What is even more impressive is Phillips’ ability when in possession of the ball.
During his 18 appearances in 2021/22, he averaged 47.4 passes per game at an 82% accuracy, which trumps Kamara’s 43.9 and Luiz’s 46 totals.
After a season working under the possession-orientated Guardiola, this aspect of Phillips’ game is only likely to have only improved even further.
If Aston Villa could obtain the Manchester City midfielder’s services for anywhere near the £45million transfer fee Leeds secured for him last summer, it would be a deal worth making.
In other Aston Villa news, Unai Emery might have a new star on the block after an injury expert shared news on a first-team ace.