Aston Villa have now set their sights on hijacking Tottenham Hotspur’s move to sign an impressive Serie A midfielder in the summer transfer window.
Aston Villa plotting Tottenham hijack
With the introduction of SCR rules (Squad Cost Ratio), it could be a big summer for Aston Villa. By qualifying for the Champions League, they should have further breathing room to splash out on any potential reinforcements, but that still may not come without at least one sacrifice.
Just who that will be remains to be seen. The biggest sale would almost certainly come courtesy of Morgan Rogers. The England international is actively attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United following an excellent season at Villa Park.
Losing such a talented player to a top four rival would be a major blow, but it would also open the door for Unai Emery to welcome several names this summer.
To that end, Marcos Senesi and Jack Grealish have already threatened to steal the headlines. A return for the latter would particularly split opinions, though performances on his homecoming could quickly end any upset.
Before anything though, Villa must finish the job and qualify for the Champions League. With seven games left to play, the Villans are currently fourth and five points above fifth-place Liverpool. They are firmly in control.
There’s also a route to Europe’s elite through the Europa League – a competition that Emery has made his own over the years. So, with every week, Champions League football looks more and more certain.
It’s not just Grealish who that could benefit, either. According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are now plotting a move to sign Mandela Keita in a bid to hijack Tottenham, who have already sent officials to watch the midfielder.
Keita could replace Douglas Luiz
Whilst Keita has impressed in Serie A this season, Douglas Luiz has struggled ever since completing a move to Italy. Now, after failing at Juventus and then Nottingham Forest, the Brazilian is back on loan at Villa Park.
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Aston Villa will have a stronger hand in the transfer market if they qualify for the Champions League.
Not even Emery has been able to get the best out of the midfielder, however, and a return to Turin will be on the cards unless Villa trigger their buy option.
Those in the Midlands know more than most in the Premier League how important it is to get spending right and that’s why Keita should arrive at the same time that Luiz heads back to Italy this summer. The 23-year-old would be an instant upgrade full of potential.
Almost three years since he earned impressive praise from Como scout Ben Mattinson, Keita has moved to Parma and become a mainstay – starting 28 of 30 Serie A games this season. Now, the Premier League is calling for the defensive midfielder.