Villa is rumoured to have made an official proposal to loan out former England international Kalvin Phillips for the season, and Unai Emery has his sights set on him.
The Villans seem to have focused on Phillips because they are still eager to recruit a central player with a range of skills and depth.
Football Insider reports a loan offer has already been submitted for the Manchester City man. The Citizens would prefer to sell Phillips permanently but are happy to make do with a temporary move away if there are no other options.
Once one of the Premier League’s most highly sort-after midfielders, the 28-year-old has struggled in recent campaigns. Phillips was signed from Leeds United in 2022 for a whopping £45 million but he hasn’t lived up to the price tag at all.
A loan to West Ham United last season didn’t help matters, either, as the Leeds academy graduate played merely 320 minutes across all competitions. The total game time for Man City has been similar as Phillips has totted up just 914 minutes, with only 380 of those in the Premier League.
Villa could potentially offer a route out, though, with Emery terrific at getting the best out of players when they’re out of form. Everton could be another option as the Toffees are said to hold a strong interest this summer, potentially even for a permanent move.
