Emery tells Aston Villa to shatter transfer record with stunning move for Man City player snubbed by Guardiola
Aston Villa could break their transfer record this summer after a report detailed their interest in signing a Manchester City outcast.
Villa’s current record signing is Argentinian playmaker Emi Buendia. He moved to Villa Park in June 2021 for an initial £33million, though the deal had the potential to rise to £38m through add-ons.
Buendia has gone on to make 70 appearances for Villa, notching nine goals and eight assists in that time. He struggled to make a significant impact under Steven Gerrard but has done well under Gerrard’s replacement Unai Emery, managing goals in Premier League victories over Everton and Bournemouth since late February.
The central attacking midfielder, who can also operate as a winger on either flank, will be hoping to continue that form under Emery’s guidance and make that potential £38m fee seem worth it.
Buendia could soon be overtaken as the most expensive player in Villa’s history. According to Football Insider, Emery wants Villa to complete an audacious swoop on City for midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The report states that Emery is in need of a ‘top-class’ midfielder this summer and Phillips fits the bill.
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While he has not been able to force his way into the City first team, the Englishman previously impressed at Leeds United and established himself as a reliable top-flight midfielder.
City only signed Phillips from Leeds last summer and do not really want to sell him, which means Emery’s side will have to put up some serious money.
Aston Villa have ‘strong interest’ in Man City player
They will need to pay £45m to snare Phillips. That is the exact sum City originally paid Leeds for him. City cannot demand any more than this as Phillips has not played regularly enough this season to make a good impression.
Despite the potential £45m sum being a big outlay, Villa are willing to pay it. Emery supposedly has a ‘strong interest’ in Phillips and believes he can take the side to the next level.
The report does not reveal exactly how Phillips will respond to Villa’s advances. He has already rejected a potential return to Leeds as he wants to make his City spell a success.
Perhaps Phillips will see how the final few months of the campaign go before making a final decision. If he picks up more game time under Guardiola then he could reject Villa as well.
But this is unlikely given how well Rodri is performing and Guardiola’s other options in midfield. Therefore, it would not be a surprise if Phillips accepted Villa’s proposal and moved back down the Prem table so he can play more regularly.
Phillips is not the only big name Villa are hoping to bring in during the next transfer window. They were recently tipped to beat Tottenham to the signing of a Manchester United player.
