According to reports, Aston Villa have a strong interest in Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips ahead of the summer window and the England international would be the perfect player to partner Boubacar Kamara in the centre of the Villans’ midfield.
What’s the latest on Aston Villa’s interest in Kalvin Phillips?
As per Football Insider, Villa manager Unai Emery wants to add a top-class signing capable of running the midfield and believes Phillips fits the bill.
However, it is believed that City would ask for a fee of £45m if the 27-year-old is to be lured from the Etihad Stadium to Villa Park this summer.
Why would Phillips be the perfect partner for Kamara?
Despite struggling with a knee injury during his first season in England, Kamara has impressed in his spells during his first season in England – being called ‘one of the signings of the season‘ by Adam Bate – and is clearly a player of huge promise for Villa.
Phillips has also struggled with injury issues during his first year at City, failing to start a single Premier League match despite being fit since the end of 2022.
However, the man once dubbed “phenomenal” by former England boss Fabio Capello for his England performances, as the Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2020, has shown enough during his time at Leeds to prove that he will able to display his qualities again once playing regular football.
At just 23-years-old, Kamara would thrive with the experience and know-how of Phillips beside him at the base of Villa’s midfield. The ex-Leeds man has played under both Marcelo Bielsa and Pep Guardiola so his tactical awareness could be very useful in helping the youngster adapt to the Premier League.
On the flip side, having the energy and athleticism of Kamara alongside him would be priceless for Phillips as he looks to reestablish himself as a Premier League regular after a season of playing precious little football.
Having two players in midfield with such impressive passing ranges and such ability to control games would be a huge advantage for Villa as they look to continue playing, and improving in, the more possession-based style of Emery.
Despite potential financial obstacles in securing the £160k-per-week man from Manchester City, the interest shown by Villa exemplifies the ambition of the club to strengthen their midfield.
If sporting director Johan Lange can get a deal across the line, Kamara would have a partner to learn from and Villa would have a midfield pairing built to grow with the project for many seasons to come.