Aston Villa FC &#8211; CaughtOffside

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Juventus have no intention of letting the player leave the club this summer and the fact that he has a contract at the club till 2028 shows Juve’s intention of keeping the player long term.

Both Liverpool and Aston Villa are looking for a new centre-back this summer.

The Reds need a partner for Virgil Van Dijk in their defense while Unai Emery is looking to add depth and quality to his squad ahead of Villa’s debut season in the Champions League.

More than Villa, Liverpool are desperate for a new defensive signing after losing Joel Matip this summer following the expiry of his contract.

It remains to be seen who wins the race to sign the defender but it all depends on what Juventus are planning to do with the young centre-back.

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Video: “Players that get coaches sacked” – Steve Nicol warns Emery over £50m capture

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 10:45:28 +0000

Former professional player, Steve Nicol, certainly hasn’t held back with regards to his thoughts on Joao Felix, as rumours continue that Unai Emery would like to sign him for Aston Villa.

There’s little doubt that when he’s in the mood, the Portuguese is up there with the very top talents in Europe.

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He’s shown as much in flashes for Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Barcelona, but there’s the rub.

A player of his evident quality should be showing that game in and game out and Felix, even now, just drifts in and out of games.

That’s perhaps why Nicol has said he’s one of those “players that get coaches sacked.”

Emery can’t say he hasn’t been warned.

Pictures from ESPN

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Sensational La Liga ace being eyed by Unai Emery for Aston Villa

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 10:17:21 +0000

With a Champions League campaign to look forward to in 2024/25, Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery, knows that he’ll need a deep enough squad to cope with those European commitments on top of a domestic season.

He only needs to remind himself of what happened to Newcastle United last season once injuries started to bite, ostensibly as a result of those extra games.

Player fitness and health will have to be micro-managed throughout the campaign, and even if it means that certain stars miss high-profile games, if it’s for the greater good, they need to accept Emery’s decision.

Aston Villa want to sign Joao Felix

Longevity right across the campaign and not just the first half is key for Villa, and it’s perhaps with that in mind that the manager is looking to execute a stunning transfer deal.

According to The Guardian (subscription required), now that a deal has been agreed to take Moussa Diaby to the Saudi Pro League, Emery is weighing up the chances of trying to land Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix.

Joao Felix could be joining Aston Villa

Felix, 24, had been expected to head back to Barcelona next season, though the Catalan club’s pursuit of Nico Williams would seem to rule any move for Felix out.

Atletico Madrid are believed not to want him either, so unless there are any more favourable offers, it could potentially leave the way clear for the Villains.

With Champions League football coming to Villa Park next season, and Emery building an excellent squad, there’s no reason why Joao Felix wouldn’t be tempted by the possibilities.

Though the player can blow hot and cold and is often termed an ‘enigma’ for that reason, when he’s on his game, there are few better players.

Villa have enough work horses in the team to allow for a bit of inventiveness and flair, and it will surely be one of the signings of the summer if it happens.

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Exclusive: Newcastle and Aston Villa the latest clubs to register interest in Rabiot

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 08:35:34 +0000

Adrien Rabiot left Juventus after five years and is now a free agent. To date, his main goal has been to maximise his next contract in terms of salary received, given that it will probably be his last big deal as a top player.

For this reason, he refused the renewal that Juventus offered; a three-year contract on the same wages.

Adrien Rabiot wants Premier League move

Clearly, that didn’t satisfy either him or his mother – who is also his agent.

According to CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of Rabiot’s plans, the 29-year-old is now looking for more economically advantageous proposals, and there are a number of clubs in the Premier League that remain interested in him.

With the potential exit of Casemiro in mind, Manchester United have put Rabiot among the preferred profiles to strengthen their midfield. Sources indicate that Erik ten Hag appreciates him a lot.

Adrien Rabiot is wanted by a host of clubs

However, the Red Devils will face competition for the Frenchman’s services as Newcastle have included him on their list.

The reason for so doing is because it’s believed that there’s a good chance Bruno Guimaraes could leave before the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

Aston Villa are also interested, with Unai Emery asking for a new player with the specific set of skills that Rabiot possesses.Paris Saint-Germain have had contact with his mother to talk about his possible return, whilst Galatasaray have a concrete interest despite the player preferring a move to the English top-flight.

In the next few days Rabiot will make his final decision, and the saga will finally be over.

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Video: “Sharon, have you seen my Preds?” – Aston Villa produce epic kit reveal starring Ozzy Osbourne

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 08:17:48 +0000

Aston Villa have taken things up a notch in terms of kit reveal videos, after having rock god, Ozzy Osbourne, appear in theirs for the 2024/25 home kit debut.

Villa legends Paul McGrath and Gabby Agbonlahor make an appearance as do Unai Emery and some of his current staff, but it’s Osbourne that steals the show.

The video is set to the sound of Black Sabbath’s epic track, Paranoid, which adds an extra layer of cool to the footage.

Instant classic.

UP THE VILLA! ? pic.twitter.com/cDJTFniFM6

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 23, 2024

Pictures from Aston Villa Football Club

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Aston Villa planning to replace Moussa Diaby with number 10 playmaker

Ahad Shaukat — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:12:33 +0000

Aston Villa have been one of the most active Premier League teams in the transfer market this summer.

After qualifying for the Champions League next season, they have bolstered their squad with new additions and added players in almost all the positions.

Unai Emery’s team have signed Lewis Dobbin, Enzo Barrenechea, Jaden Philogene, Ross Barkley, Ian Maatsen and Samuel Iling-Junior while Amadou Onana is close to joining the club soon.

However, they have lost two first team players in Douglas Luiz and now Moussa Diaby, with the latter heading out of the club and moving closer to a move to Saudi Arabia.

In order to replace Diaby, they have identified their next signing as they aim to continue their summer spending spree.

As soon as Diaby completes his move away from the club, the Midlands club are expected to push for the signing of Atletico Madrid and Portugal playmaker Joao Felix.

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According to The Sun, the Portugal international is the number one target to replace Diaby.

Emery’s team can sign the player on a loan deal with an option to buy for £50m.

The Premier League club face competition from Felix’s former club Benfica to sign the player this summer.

In order to cope with Champions League football next season, Emery is eyeing depth for his squad and he is keen to bring Felix to the Premier League this summer.

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Iheanacho set to secure Champions League football with Premier League club

Magnus Eriksen — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 10:40:58 +0000

Kelechi Iheanacho has left Leicester City this summer and is now a free agent, with latest reports suggesting Aston Villa could be his next move.

This would allow the Nigeria international the chance to make a big step up, playing in both the Premier League and Champions League with Unai Emery’s side next season.

It remains to be seen if Iheanacho would realistically be first choice at Villa Park due to the presence of the likes of Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, but it still looks like a good move for all parties involved.

Iheanacho had a decent spell at Leicester and looks like he could be an ideal squad player to give Villa depth over what is likely to be a long and challenging season ahead.

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Meanwhile, Iheanacho can enjoy a step up after playing in the Championship with Leicester last season, so he’ll surely feel pretty pleased with the move even if he isn’t likely to be a regular starter for his new club.

Iheanacho once looked a huge prospect during his days as a youngster at Manchester City, and it will be interesting to see if he can finally make the most of this opportunity to fulfil his potential.

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Exclusive: AC Milan to re-start transfer talks with Tottenham as they’re set to walk away from another deal

Mark Brus — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:54:49 +0000

AC Milan are set to re-start transfer talks with Tottenham over Emerson Royal as they’re prepared to walk away from a potential deal to sign Aston Villa full-back Matty Cash.

Sources with a close understanding of the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Cash has been a target for Milan this summer, though Villa’s asking price of €35-40m for the Poland international is deemed too high for the Serie A giants.

Royal was also looked at by Milan earlier in the summer and he remains an option on their radar, with the Brazilian also keen to leave Spurs for a move to the San Siro, CaughtOffside understands.

It is now anticipated that Milan will end their efforts to sign Cash as they’re not optimistic about being able to strike a deal on favourable terms, meaning they will look at Royal and other alternatives.

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CaughtOffside understands that Milan will try to get talks with Tottenham back on again after some initial efforts earlier this summer, while personal terms with the player are not expected to be an issue.

Cash transfer: Villa will want to avoid further big-name sales

Matty Cash in action for Aston Villa

Keeping hold of Cash looks like a boost for Villa as they will no doubt have been keen to avoid losing more big names after the departure of Douglas Luiz earlier this summer.

The Brazilian midfielder was a star player for Unai Emery’s side last season but has left to join Juventus, while it also looks like Moussa Diaby is closing in on leaving Villa Park for Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad.

Losing Cash would have been another big blow for AVFC, but Royal is not as important a player for Tottenham, so this certainly looks like a more realistic target for Milan as they look to strengthen on that right-hand side of their defence.

The post Exclusive: AC Milan to re-start transfer talks with Tottenham as they’re set to walk away from another deal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Aston Villa submit improved offer to land 15-G/A attacker this summer

Saikat Chatterjee — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:45:12 +0000

Aston Villa are interested in signing the Besiktas attacker Semih Kilicsoy this summer.

According to a report from Turkish publication Gune Bakis, Aston Villa have already filled with an offer to sign the 18-year-old attacker, and they have now returned with an approved proposal to get the deal done.

The report states that Aston Villa offered €18 million for the highly rated Turkish centre forward and they included Alex Moreno as a part of the deal as well. Furthermore, the West Midlands club were willing to send Kilicsoy back on loan to Besiktas for a season as well.

It appears that the Turkish outfit have rejected the offer and Aston Villa have now returned with a €30 million proposal. It will be interesting to see if they can get the deal done.

Kilicsoy has already established himself as an important first team player for Besiktas and he scored 12 goals last season and picked up three assists along the way. He has the attributes to develop into a top class player and he could be a quality long-term investment for Aston Villa.

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Semih Kilicsoy celebrates a goal for Besiktas

Aston Villa need attacking reinforcements

The West Midlands club have secured Champions League qualification for the next season and they need a deeper squad in order to do well across multiple competitions. They need to sign a quality centre forward who can support Ollie Watkins in the attack. The Turkish attacker should prove to be the ideal acquisition for them.

Kilicsoy is versatile enough to operate anywhere across the front three and he could be the dynamic forward Aston Villa are currently looking for. The 18-year-old is likely to improve further with coaching and experience and Unai Emery could help him develop into a top class player.

If the West Midlands club manage to get the deal done for €30 million, the investment could look like a masterstroke in the long-term.

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Saudi side Al-Ittihad have verbally agreed a deal worth €60m for Premier League attacker

Mehdi Gokal — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 22:51:55 +0000

Saudi side Al-Ittihad have verbally agreed a package for Aston Villa’s Moussa Diaby.

That is according to the latest from Fabrzio Romano who gave the deal his trademark ‘here we go’, sharing that the Saudi side have agreed a €60m package (£50.5m) with Aston Villa for the 25-year-old.

The player has also agreed to a 5-year contract and all that is remaining now is for the paperwork before the deal is made official.

Romano also reveals that Al-Ittihad are planning a move for Manchester City’s Ederson next.

Reporting on the latest news on X, Romano said:

“Moussa Diaby to Al Ittihad, here we go! Deal verbally agreed with Aston Villa for €60m package, add-ons included. Diaby has agreed on five year deal and now waiting for paperworks to review then sign. As revealed today, talks ongoing also for City GK Éderson.”

???? Moussa Diaby to Al Ittihad, here we go! Deal verbally agreed with Aston Villa for €60m package, add-ons included.

Diaby has agreed on five year deal and now waiting for paperworks to review then sign.

?? As revealed today, talks ongoing also for City GK Éderson. pic.twitter.com/mesRlkaqQB

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 21, 2024

Diaby joined Villa only last summer for a club-record fee of £51.9m. He made 54 appearances across all competitions, scoring 10 and assisting 9.

Diaby in action for Aston Villa

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