Aston Villa have reportedly agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest over a loan move for Alex Moreno, with an option to buy included in the touted agreement.
The 31-year-old was an instant hit when he joined us from Real Betis in January 2023, making an important impact and establishing himself as a great fit for Unai Emery’s system and style of play given his attacking qualities.
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However, an injury-plagued season last year limited him to 29 appearances across all competitions, thus opening the door for Lucas Digne to re-establish himself as our most reliable option at left-back.
Following the signing of Ian Maatsen this summer, and after Moreno wasn’t included in the matchday squad for our win over West Ham Utd this past weekend amid speculation over his future, it had become apparent that he may well be closing in on an exit.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa have now agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest for Moreno to move to the City Ground, as he’s expected to undergo a medical on Wednesday morning.
Further, he adds that it will be an initial loan move with an option to buy included in the agreement, and so time will tell if this ultimately spells the end of the Spaniard’s time with us.
It’s a disappointing development given how important his impact was in his first few months with us, and he looked to be a key option for Emery moving forward. In turn, it’s a shame that injuries have effectively ruined his time with us, as the hamstring setback he suffered at the back-end of the 2023/24 campaign was a big blow.
However, it’s a sensible decision given we have Maatsen and Digne available, and so while it’s unclear if the plan was always to approve an exit for Moreno over Digne this summer, it looks as though we’ll be trimming the squad in that department and creating more financial flexibility when it comes to our wage bill this year.
Time will tell if he returns next summer, but it’s in the best interests of all concerned that he has a positive season at least, whether that’s with a view of fighting back for his spot in our squad in the long run, or maximising his worth if he is to leave permanently.
