Aston Villa's advantage over Manchester United for £50m transfer detailed as 'hate' claims made

Aston Villa and Manchester United could be set to compete for the signing of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer - with Steven Gerrard's side possessing a key advantage over United going into the window.

Strengthening the midfield for both Villa and United has been identified as a clear priority going into the summer, with England's 2021 Player of the Year being touted as an ideal addition for both clubs.

The Athletic are reporting that United 'have begun exploring' the option of signing Phillips for £50 million this summer, whilst Villa are believed to be willing to pay up to £60 million to secure a player of his quality ahead of the defence, according to The Telegraph.

Going into the battle for Phillips' signature Villa possess a key advantage over Manchester United, as outlined by Leeds striker Patrick Bamford last season. Before playing United, Bamford stated this regarding a possible move to the Reds for Phillips given the opinion of those close to the player: "He [Phillips] hasn’t played it up as much this time, but definitely the first time around we played them, he’s like ‘this is a massive game’.

“He’s tried to tone it down a little bit, but the fact it’s at Elland Road makes it better. A shame the fans aren’t there. This week he hasn’t said much. He’ll probably talk more the day before the game, but being from Leeds it’s massive for him as well.

“All his family hate United and they’re probably rooting for him and they’re probably telling him to say ‘make sure you tell the lads how big and crucial this game is'. One of them where the rest of the season, while being important, this game is the main focus.”