Lange can finally axe £34k-p/w dud with AVFC swoop for £36m-rated "destroyer" - opinion

Aston Villa were one of the most efficient clubs in the Premier League when it came to swiftly bringing new players to the club during the previous January transfer window.

However, things didn’t always go their way in some regards having missed out on a deal to sign Rodrigo Bentancur and having a bid for Yves Bissouma rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion.

This ultimately led to the Midlands club not bringing in a new central-midfielder to Villa Park to fill in while Marvelous Nakamba is out injured after he picked up a serious knee injury back in December.

Looking ahead to the next summer transfer market, with moves for Bissouma and Wilfred Ndidi already being mentioned with the Villans, it seems likely that they will try and bring a new midfielder to the club before next season starts.

Aside from the two aforementioned midfielders, one other option that Steven Gerrard’s side could look to make a summer transfer swoop for is Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips.

Having been touted with a strong interest in the England international, the recent departure of Marcelo Bielsa from the Yorkshire club, who the midfielder clearly has a lot of admiration for based on his farewell message to the Argentine on social media, and the fact that Leeds are in danger of being relegated could give Villa the chance to bring the £36m-rated player to the club in the summer.

Labelled as an “outstanding” player by former Villa boss Alex McLeish, Phillips could be a real upgrade on Nakamba from a defensive point of view with the 26-year-old racking up 22 more tackles and 26 more interceptions than the Zimbabwean this season.

Based on that, it’s easy to see why he was labelled a “destroyer” by former England boss Steve McLaren.

Even in an attacking