Aston Villa had a hectic transfer window as they brought in plenty of players. They were also linked with quite a few on whom they missed out on in the end. One of them was Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips who caught the eye in the Championship last season.
However, the Villans were unable to agree on a fee for the midfielder as United were demanding more than what Villa were willing to pay. The midfielder stayed put at Elland Road, and Villa moved on to other targets.
Dean Smith might have considered making a future move in January, but that could be entirely out of the picture now as United’s CEO recently revealed that the player is close to signing a new contract.
Latest update on Phillips
United’s chief said (BBC Radio Leeds), “He deserves a new contract. He is at the very heart of what we want to achieve. He is a local lad, and he knows what it means to play for Leeds United. We’ve had very constructive chats with him and his agent, and I think we are very close.”
It was always going to be unlikely that Villa would get a second bite at the cherry to sign Phillips in January as United recognises him as one of the most crucial members of the first team. Even the lure of the Premier League wasn’t enough for Villa to bring him, but the club did well by signing other options.
Why is Dean Smith well covered?
Aston Villa have brought in Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba for the defensive midfield position. Nakamba is yet to feature, but Luiz has managed to shine on occasions in the defensive midfield role. The midfielder even scored a memorable goal against Bournemouth though it came in a 2-1 defeat. The former Manchester City player has looked impressive while playing out from the back and he has done the nitty-gritty job in midfield well.
Conor Hourihane is also an option as he can do various jobs in midfield. Nakamba didn’t have much of a pre-season, so he is likely going to take some time before being inducted into the team. Smith has done well after missing out on Phillips. The new contract talks shouldn’t be a blow for the club as they have already brought in alternatives in the summer. Will Douglas and Nakamba be better than Phillips? Only time will tell that as it is too early to judge.
