Source: Midfield 'rock' who loves Gerrard ready to quit current club; NSWE readying Villa move

Aston Villa have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Football Insider report.

Phillips, who Andrea Pirlo described as a ‘rock’ last summer, has been heavily linked with a summer switch to Villa in recent months.

Reports in March suggested that Steven Gerrard’s side were leading the race for the England international and were willing to pay Leeds £60m and Phillips around £10m-a-year.

Leeds are now on the verge of relegation back to the Championship, which has led to a major update emerging on the star midfielder’s future and a possible Midlands move.

FI shared a story regarding Phillips on Thursday lunchtime claiming he is now ready to quit Elland Road even if Jesse Marsch’s side stay up.

A Villa source informed the site that NSWE are now readying up an offer after being given such encouragement, with Phillips feeling now is the right time to move on.

Should Leeds go down in the next ten days, then you’d like to think that their £60m valuation for Phillips could drop slightly. However, Villa could still smash their club record for Phillips in a deal worth over £35m.

Gerrard wants midfield reinforcements and a ‘specialist No.6’ this summer, and with Phillips a big admirer of the Villa boss, it seems as if a move is a real possibility.

Villa chiefs may well be hoping that the Whites drop back down to the second tier, making this a transfer to keep a close eye on over the coming weeks.

In other news: NSWE now close to agreeing deal for another midfielder alongside Coutinho.  

Source