David James says Aston Villa is right step if Kalvin Phillips leaves Leeds

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David James has told GGRecon that Aston Villa would be the right step for Kalvin Phillips this summer if he ends up leaving Leeds United at the end of the season.

There is a question mark over the Elland Road future of Phillips. Leeds remain in trouble in the Premier League. However, back-to-back wins have alleviated some of the pressure on Jesse Marsch’s men.

Clearly, staying up is imperative if they are going to keep their best players. And one of those likely to move on if they cannot avoid a return to the Championship is Phillips.

Reports claimed that Aston Villa are preparing a £60 million bid for the 26-year-old. Meanwhile, they are prepared to put a package worth around £192,000-a-week on the table for the midfielder.

That report from The Times noted that Manchester United were also amongst his admirers. And James was asked about Phillips being perfect for Old Trafford.

‘Right stepping stone’

But he suggested that Phillips would be better off moving to Aston Villa if he is going to leave Leeds.

“He’s one of my favourite players and that’s not solely due to his footballing talent, but he’s a wonderful human being too,” he told GGRecon.

“The lure would naturally be Manchester United because of the size of the club but this is Kalvin Phillips who plays for Leeds United. But I also think playing under Steven Gerrard in that Aston Villa squad, and adding to that where Stevie wants to take them, I believe would be the right stepping stone for Kalvin Phillips.

“I don’t want to insinuate that Aston Villa are a stepping stone, but Gerrard will realistically want to manage a team that’s eventually competing for major honours, whether that’s Liverpool or another club.”

Leeds in pole position to keep Kalvin Phillips ahead of Aston Villa

Leeds still have work to do. But the situation is a lot brighter after beating Wolves. A few more wins should secure survival for another year in the Premier League.

And the Whites are hopeful that staying up will be followed by Phillips signing a new contract. Reports claimed that Leeds are confident of agreeing a new deal with the academy graduate.

Leeds fans would not begrudge him moving on if they do fail to keep themselves up. But it would certainly be a lot easier to stomach if Phillips ends up at Aston Villa over Manchester United.