An Aston Villa player’s hefty wage demands are slowing down a potential swap deal involving an “incredible” midfield target, according to a new transfer update from Italy.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans have been linked with a host of players since sealing Champions League qualification, following a memorable season that saw Unai Emery inspire his side to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.
With Douglas Luiz’s Villa future up in the air, Conor Gallagher has emerged as a rumoured target for the Midlands club, having stood out as one of Chelsea’s best players during a disappointing campaign at Stamford Bridge overall. The 24-year-old is pushing to start for England at Euro 2024, batting with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kobbie Mainoo to take up the third midfield spot alongside Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
Another such figure is Assan Ouedraogo, who is a hugely promising young midfielder at Schalke, making 17 appearances in the Bundesliga last season despite still being a teenager. A £12m move has been mooted, but there is plenty of interest in his signature, including from Liverpool.
Villa sporting director Monchi is also looking at a possible swap deal involving Luiz and Juventus pair Weston McKennie and Matias Soule, but that is proving difficult to get over the line currently.
Aston Villa swap deal halted by wage demands
According to Sky Italia [via Sport Witness], Luiz’s wage demands are holding up a swap deal for Juventus ace McKennie in the summer window, along with a dispute over the Brazilian’s price tag.
While “work is underway” to get a deal sorted, neither club have reached an agreement over the valuation of both players, with Villa wanting €60m (£51m) for their prized midfielder, far above the Turin club’s McKennie valuation. Meanwhile, the Brazilian wants a whopping £5.5m per year in wages in Italy, which is further slowing down the process.
McKennie could be a really exciting signing by Villa if they do manage to strike a swap deal with Luiz, assuming some cash comes to Villa Park in the deal as well. The American is coming off the back of a good season with Juve – one that saw him make 34 appearances in Serie A and register nine assists.
Granted, the £52,000-a-week USA international’s spell on loan at Leeds United didn’t work out, but he was playing in a struggling side, and former Whites manager Jesse Marsch was still delighted with what he saw.
“He’s got incredible flexibility and can play almost any position on the pitch and I’ve seen that. He’s aggressive, he’s confident and he has quality. At Schalke they played a little bit similar to the things that I like to do, so now even sitting and talking to him about what we think his role will be, he’s pretty clear on how to integrate himself. Training over the past week, he’s been outstanding.”
Related
Aston Villa lurking for £25m target who’s fallen out with his current coach
The midfielder could be returning to the Premier League.
In an ideal world, Villa would keep hold of Luiz, considering what an influential performer he has been, but if he wants to move on, McKennie could represent an excellent replacement, having won 51 caps for the Americans and played 134 times for a club of Juve’s stature.
