Aston Villa have reportedly ‘held internal discussions’ over the possibility of signing midfielder Kevin De Bruyne this summer.
The 33-year-old will become a free agent at the end of the season with his current Manchester City contract set to expire, and after enjoying a glittering and trophy-laden spell with the club, he certainly won’t be short of suitors.
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De Bruyne has scored 107 goals and provided 177 assists in 417 appearances for City, while he has 30 goals in 109 caps for Belgium as he’s firmly established himself as one of the best midfielders in the game over the last decade or so.
Injuries have progressively hindered him in recent times though, and that is arguably a significant factor in the decision from City not to extend his contract further.
According to Sky Sports News, Villa are seemingly weighing up the possibility of making a move to sign the Belgian international, and so it remains to be seen if that develops into something more serious in the coming weeks and months.
On one hand, it would be some coup to land his signature as he is a world-class player with a wealth of experience, and he would be an incredible signing for Unai Emery as he continues to build a winning mentality and culture at the club.
Further, De Bruyne may well feel he has a point to prove still in that he can continue to play at a high level despite City’s decision to let him leave, and so the option of continuing in the Premier League could appeal to him.
That said, albeit available on a free transfer, he would command significant wages, and whether or not Villa would be able to afford that is unclear given our wage bill would have significantly increased over the past couple of years already with the calibre of players we’ve brought in, and the extensions we’ve agreed with key individuals.
It remains to be seen if Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi stay with us beyond this season with their respective loan deals set to expire, and so that could be a big chunk to come off the wage expenses.
However, with no suggestion in the reporting above that Villa are in actual talks with De Bruyne’s camp or have made any serious approach as of yet, there is a long way to go before this seemingly becomes a genuine possibility in the summer.
