Steven Gerrard drops Aston Villa transfer backing admission as new link emerges

Hello and welcome to our morning Aston Villa bulletin from BirminghamLive.

Here are the top stories...

Steven Gerrard questioned Aston Villa’s belief following their 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal.

England star Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game as the in-form Gunners tightened their grip on fourth spot. For Villa, it was a disappointing day and the after the game, Gerrard issued a blunt assessment of the performance.

“I think we were indecisive in the things we tried to do. I think our performance lacked belief. It wasn’t until after half-time that we showed we can be better,” he said.

Read the full story here.

Aston Villa are reportedly ready make a blockbuster offer in a bid to prise England star Kalvin Phillips away from Leeds United.

Steven Gerrard wants to sign a defensive midfielder this summer and is also keen on Brighton’s Yves Bissouma. But according to The Times, Phillips has emerged as a key target for the Villa boss.

The Times adds that Villa are ready to pay £60million for Phillips and pay him an “enormous salary” of £10million a year. That would smash the club’s transfer record, currently held by Emiliano Buendia, who cost around £34million.

Read the full story here.

Aston Villa and Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz are reportedly in negotiations over a new contract that will keep him at the club for the foreseeable future, despite reports recently linking him with a move away.

Luiz, 23, was signed by Villa in 2019 after the club achieved promotion back to the Premier League in a deal worth around £15 million from Manchester City. Since then, the player has found a place in the squad as a defensive midfielder, despite his preferred position being in a more flexible role further up the