Aston Villa face Man United competition in pursuit of Kalvin Phillips

The Leeds United midfielder is expected to be a primary target for Steven Gerrard as he looks to strengthen the spine of Villa’s team.

But reports in the north-west suggest Phillips will also be on United’s radar, with the Red Devils set for a significant squad overhaul.

Midfield has been identified as a key area for improvement by Gerrard, who saw Villa fail with a £25million bid for Brighton’s Yves Bissouma during the January window.

Phillips has long been admired at Villa Park and was among the club’s targets following promotion in 2019, before the signings of Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz.

The latter, who signed from Manchester City for £15million, is facing an uncertain future with talks over a new contract having failed to progress.