Birmingham City should eye ambitious transfer that Aston Villa couldn’t pull off in 2019

Birmingham City should eye ambitious transfer that Aston Villa couldn’t pull off in 2019

As Birmingham City prepare for life back in the Championship after a year away, the club are set for a big summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips is heading back to Manchester City in need of a fresh start after a difficult period following his big-money move in 2022.

It’s easy to forget that Phillips was once a Leeds United hero and a target for Birmingham’s ambitious rivals Aston Villa heading out of the Championship.

Now, with both player and club carrying serious ambition for different reasons, a move to Birmingham could offer the perfect opportunity for Phillips to reset his career, while the club could be gaining a player with fantastic Championship experience.

Kalvin Phillips requires a fresh start

Joining Man City from Leeds United in the summer of 2022 for a reported £45 million fee, it is safe to say that Phillips’ move to the then-champions of England has not gone to plan.

Racking up just 291 minutes across 12 Premier League appearances, the Englishman failed to stake a claim for a starting spot under Pep Guardiola, and the same could be said in the following 2023/24 campaign, as he made yet again just 12 appearances for City and West Ham following a January loan move.

Last summer, Phillips went out on loan again, this time to newly-promoted Ipswich Town. However, as Kieran McKenna’s side struggled on their way to relegation, Phillips made 19 appearances out of a possible 38 in the Premier League, being in and out of the side due to both form and injuries.

At 29, Phillips possesses the talent to be a reliable figure in midfield when fit. However, a step back to the Championship could be the best move when it comes to a full career reset out of the spotlight of the Premier League.

Aston Villa’s long-term interest in Kalvin Phillips

If Birmingham were to pursue Phillips, it would not be the first time that a West Midlands club has held interest in the midfielder.

In 2019, Birmingham’s fierce rivals, Aston Villa, fresh off their return to the Premier League, were strongly linked with a move for Phillips.

Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival at Leeds in the summer of 2018 saw Phillips become one of the key cogs in a well-oiled machine, and the surprise play-off semi-final defeat against Derby sparked a summer of speculation regarding the future of Phillips, with Aston Villa heavily linked with a move for the midfielder. The Telegraph reported they made a £14m bid for the future England international on the back of their own promotion, but a new deal was eventually agreed at Leeds.

The interest didn’t end there. Before his loan switch to Ipswich last summer, reports from Football Insider suggested that Villa had made another approach as Phillips continued to struggle for minutes under Guardiola.

However, as was the case in Villa’s chase of the then-23-year-old in 2019, they were unable to make significant progress with a deal to bring Phillips to the Midlands.

Why Birmingham should make a move for Kalvin Phillips

With Phillips choosing to stay in West Yorkshire back in 2019, Leeds went into the 2019/20 campaign as firm favourites before achieving Premier League promotion as champions, while Phillips took the role as one of the central figures

When available, Phillips was one of the first names on the team sheet, starting 37 matches as the Whites tore apart the Championship and secured a Premier League return for the first time in 16 years.

He was the deep-lying playmaker under Bielsa, dropping into the defence and building attacks in a fluid 4-1-4-1 system that simply dominated the division. Averaging 67.7% possession per match (Fbref), Leeds went on to score 77 Championship goals, a tally only bettered by Brentford with 80.

Phillips also scored crucial goals in wins over Birmingham and Blackburn Rovers to set the Whites on a firm path towards promotion.

Following Leeds’ eventual promotion, Phillips continued to be a mainstay under both Bielsa and Jesse Marsch, being selected for the England national team by Gareth Southgate, before earning a move to Man City in 2022.

When it comes to a potential Birmingham move, Phillips would bring experience not just from the Premier League but also from a multitude of Championship scenarios. Birmingham have a midfield that works hard and moves the ball well, but there’s still space for someone of Phillips’ pedigree.

Tomoki Iwata has been one of the standout performers in the middle of the park, composed, disciplined and a reliable shield in front of the back four in Chris Davies’ 4-2-3-1 formation. He breaks up play well, but a pure controller of tempo alongside him in Phillips could further elevate his game.

Under Chris Davies, Birmingham look to dominate games, and that means controlling midfield. With Phillips’ presence, passing range, and press resistance, he’s a player who could both complement and elevate Iwata and the rest of the squad.

At 29, Phillips is ready for a fresh start, and Birmingham, with their ambition and structure, might be the perfect place for it at the top of the Championship.

A chance for Blues to succeed where Villa couldn’t

Aston Villa once tried and failed to land Phillips at the peak of his Championship powers. Now, the situation has shifted for all parties involved. Phillips is in need of a career reset following a tough period since moving to City in 2022, while the Blues are looking to establish themselves among the favoured names in the second tier.

Phillips would bring fantastic Championship know-how alongside midfield quality that could become the envy of the division once again.

It’s the sort of deal Villa couldn’t do in 2019, but Birmingham might just be able to pull off in 2024. And if they did, it could be a defining move for both player and club as they look to get back to the top.