Aston Villa are already enjoying a busy summer before the transfer window has even officially opened, and now more midfield reinforcements could be on their way.
Douglas Luiz wants to leave Aston Villa?
After securing Champions League football for the first time in their history courtesy of a fourth-placed Premier League finish, the Villans and NSWE are keen to add quality to their side to ensure that their only movement next season is forwards rather than back.
They have already agreed on arguably their most important deal, tying manager Unai Emery to a new contract which will keep him in charge until 2029, with the Spaniard having led a major turnaround at Villa Park.
Now, their attentions have turned to on-the-pitch matters. To that end, they have begun strengthening their midfield ranks, with Ross Barkley set to arrive in a £5m deal from relegated Luton Town imminently after a deal was agreed with the former Villa loanee.
However, they were rocked by news from Italy claiming that Douglas Luiz has asked to leave the club this summer, despite having two years left to run on his contract with Aston Villa and having just enjoyed his best season to date.
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Douglas Luiz’s excellent 23/24 season |
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|
Appearances |
35 |
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Goals |
9 |
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Assists |
5 |
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Shots on target per 90 |
0.39 |
|
Key passes per 90 |
1.59 |
He is reportedly valued at around 60m euros (£51m), and his sale would certainly prove beneficial for financial fair play reasons, which could allow Aston Villa to spend big on the rest of their squad this summer amid links to Conor Gallagher. Now, it appears Monchi is on the hunt for yet another midfielder.
Monchi low-balls for McKennie
That comes in the shape of Juventus man Weston McKennie, who has been touted as a potential option in a swap deal for Luiz in Italy.
However, it appears that Villa could also be keen on doing a straight-up cash transaction for the 25-year-old, whose previous Premier League experience came via a difficult loan spell at Leeds United which ended in their relegation.
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The midfielder could be returning to the Premier League.
The USMNT midfielder is approaching the final year of his £53,000 a week deal in Turin, and is thought to be available for around €25m (£21m) this summer, with Juve not expecting him to renew his contract and a departure seeming ‘inevitable’ ahead of the new campaign.
That is according to Tuttosport, relayed by Sport Witness, who add that Villa are looking to sign him on the cheap this summer, with Monchi personally driving negotiations. The ex-Sevilla Sporting Director is reportedly ‘willing to pay between €12m and €15m (£10m and £13m) for the 25-year-old’s signing’ on a permanent basis this summer, around half of what Juventus were holding out for.
Despite this, it is added that ‘discussions remain open’ and that fresh talks are expected in the future, though any deal is likely to be delayed by the Copa America taking place from the middle of June.
Any move for McKennie, on top of a deal for Barkley and a potential move for Gallagher, would likely be contingent on one of Villa’s current midfield options moving on, even if it is not in a swap deal. Should Luiz become available, clubs from the Premier League may well be willing to offer Villa a better deal than Juve can put together.
