Decision time looms for Director of Football Victor Orta, after Football Insider claimed Aston Villa had approached Leeds United with a renewed offer for Kalvin Phillips.
Dean Smith’s Premier League new boys have been intent on poaching the key Whites product from Marcelo Bielsa’s ranks this summer, yet have spent more than £130million on twelve players, including the £11million purchase of Club Brugge defensive midfielder Marvelous Nakamba.
The Villains’ prior advances to poach Phillips saw the Birmingham-based outfit rebuffed, as their £14million opening offer fell well below the Whites’ asking price that soon rose from £20m to £30million.
Villa are yet to meet United’s valuation, but have returned to West Yorkshire with an offer of £15million, after sticking to their own valuation of the 5 ft 8 midfielder, who featured in 44 of our Championship fixtures last season.
A Leeds source allegedly told Football Insider that United rejected the Claret and Blue side’s latest approach, as the board intend to retain the 23-year-old’s services.
Doing so could put the Whites in an uncomfortable position, though, as reports emerged recently suggesting Phillips could down tools and refuse to play in order to secure a move out of the club, after contract negotiations failed to reach a suitable outcome.
Villa are also understood to have put together a £60,000-a-week contract for the Leeds-born talent, which would be out of reach for United without top-flight football and the financial benefits that come with it.
Despite the speculation that he may down tools, Football Insider add that Phillips is expected to start in tomorrow’s Championship curtain-raiser at Bristol City, which supports Managing Director Angus Kinnear’s claims from July, when he stated that the 23-year-old is still considered as an important “part of our plan”.