The amount Aston Villa would pay to recruit Ross Barkley has been revealed, while a £25.5 million proposal is being prepared for another midfield player at the request of Unai Emery, according to several reports.
Aston Villa will compete in Europe’s top competition for the first time since 1982/93 next season. Manager Unai Emery accomplished wonders at Villa Park last season, juggling the stresses and strains of fighting on two fronts admirably.
However, while Emery had the luxury of resting and rotating his key players in the Europa Conference League, the Champions League is not to be underestimated.
Euro 2024 is almost here. Book your Germany hotel now with Marriott Bonvoy. As a result, Emery and club president Monchi are determined to add established players to their roster without breaking the budget.
Ross Barkley was identified as a cost-effective signing to add quality to Villa’s midfield. Barkley shone upon returning to the Premier League with the Hatters last season, but Luton’s campaign ultimately ended with relegation.
The chances of Barkley remaining at the club in the Championship were always slim, so Villa mobilised and advanced in discussions with Barkley’s camp in mid-May. According to a fresh update from Fabrizio Romano, Villa.
£5m seals Ross Barkley signing; expected arrival date emerges
Aston Villa will pay approximately £5 million to sign the 30-year-old. A medical and contracts have yet to be signed, but a club-to-club agreement indicates that a transaction will eventually be completed.
The British summer transfer window starts on June 14, although Romano stated that official confirmation of the move could be delayed until early July. A definitive agreement on personal terms between Barkley and Aston Villa is expected to be reached early next month.
Prior reports indicated Emery was a main force in Villa’s pursuit of Barkley, who was also considered by Manchester United.
Ex-Arsenal star next?
Meanwhile, sources in Italy strongly imply that Lazio’s Matteo Guendouzi could join Barkley to Villa Park. Guendouzi played the 2023/24 season on loan at Lazio from French team Marseille.
The loan arrangement included a conditional option to buy worth €13 million in fixed fees and €5 million in add-ons. Lazio chose to exercise the option in April and will buy the former Arsenal player outright when the Italian market opens.
However, it is now clear that Guendouzi does not want to stay with Lazio, citing a difficult relationship with manager Igor Tudor. Tudor had managed Guendouzi at Marseille, and a disagreement in France prompted Guendouzi’s loan to Lazio in the first place.
Unfortunately for Guendouzi, Tudor succeeded Maurizio Sarri as Lazio manager in March of this year, and their relationship remains strained.
Lazio is working to thaw the relationship between the two, but their attempts have been deemed unsuccessful thus far.
On the contrary, Guendouzi apparently wants to leave and return to England, where a move to Villa Park seems possible.
Emery could sign Guendouzi… again
Emery was the manager at Arsenal when Guendouzi first arrived in England in 2018. Guendouzi didn’t stand out at the Emirates, but he’s thrived since leaving north London, earning eight senior caps for France since his debut in 2021.
Villa, and notably Emery, have taken notice, and it is alleged that the Spanish manager is once again driving Villa’s pursuit. To that aim, Villa are reportedly willing to pay €30 million/£25.5 million to complete a deal.
Lazio are hesitant to sell, but the opportunity to earn an early profit on a player who supposedly does not want to stay at the club will be appealing.
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