According to The Times, Aston Villa are leading the race for Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips, with the club willing to pay as much as £60m for the England international, despite having missed most of this season.

Manager Steven Gerrard is on the lookout for players to improve his midfield options, with Douglas Luiz potentially on his way out the exit door this summer, alongside £14m flop Morgan Sanson.

Phillips is not the only midfielder that has been shortlisted by the Midlands club, with Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma also being linked, but it appears that the 'Yorkshire Pirlo' is Gerrard's top choice.

The transfer would shatter Villa's record for most amount of money spent on a single player, but would the transfer fee be worth it for a club without European football to look forward to next season? Our writers give their verdicts below....

George McGibbon

"It is difficult to understate how good Kalvin Phillips is at the job he does. Indeed, following Leeds' promotion to the Premier League in 2020, the 26-year-old has quickly established himself as one of the most effective players in world football, with FBREF ranking the £36m-rated regista in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe's big five leagues for pressures per 90, as well as the top 3% for blocks, the top 16% for tackles and the top 18% for interceptions.

"As such, it is not difficult to see why the Andrea Pirlo-esque talent has caught the eye of Steven Gerrard, as not only would Phillips be a major upgrade on Marvelous Nakamba, he could also prove to be the final piece of the puzzle in Aston Villa's three-man midfield alongside John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey - something which, in my opinion, would be more than worth the £60m fee required to prise the England international away from Elland Road."

Vijievan Jeevathayalan

"One of Gareth Southgate's England heroes from last summer's EUROs, Kalvin Phillips has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last few years. From plying his trade in the Championship, to becoming a bona-fide international star, the midfielder is everything that Gerrard needs. Combative in the tackle - he ranks sixth among his Leeds teammates this season - and composed on the ball - he averages the third-most passes for his side - Phillips would be a huge upgrade on Douglas Luiz.

"The Brazilian of course has been linked with a move away from Villa Park in recent summers, with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal mentioned as potential suitors. If Villa are to take that next step forward, then signing players who are better than what they have is crucial. In the Premier League this year, Phillips boasts far more tackles, interceptions, passes and shots per game than his Villa counterpart, and would represent a real statement signing from NSWE."

Daniel Emery

"Kalvin Phillips would be a phenomenal signing for Aston Villa. He would be a major upgrade on Douglas Luiz in the middle of the park as he has the quality to be Steven Gerrard's defensive linchpin next season.

"The Leeds man ranks in the top 18 percentile or higher for pressures, tackles, interceptions and blocks in Europe's top five leagues over the last 365 days (per FB Ref) whilst Luiz ranks lower than the 45th percentile in tackles and blocks and is below Phillips in all of those statistics.

"Phillips is able to offer defensive protection at the base of the midfield. This would provide the perfect platform for the likes of Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey to work their magic in the final third as he is able to screen the back four and cut out any fires - subsequently starting attacks for others to finish off."

In other news: Gerrard must boldly axe "outstanding" £52k-p/w AVFC gem, he could leave for nothing