Tottenham enter three-way Premier League battle for Championship midfielder
Tottenham will challenge Aston Villa and Newcastle for the signature of Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips, say reports.
The 23-year-old earned a place in the EFL Team of the Season for 2018/19 after an impressive campaign under Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road.
The Mirror reports that Spurs are set to make a second offer for the midfielder, but they face competition from Premier League rivals.
Villa have already submitted an £11 million bid, while Newcastle are also interested, but Leeds value the player at around £30 million and are reluctant to sell.
The Championship side are confident that Phillips won’t actively seek to leave his boyhood club and they are prepared to offer him an improved contract, although he rejected their opening offer.
Tottenham have already done business with Leeds this summer, completing a £9 million deal for winger Jack Clarke before sending him back on loan.
They believe the prospect of a lucrative contract offer and Champions League football could be enough to convince the player to leave.
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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.