Aston Villa boss Unai Emery reportedly has an interest in Real Betis left-back Alex Moreno, as he seemingly considers bolstering his options in that department.
Moreno, 29, joined Betis from Rayo Vallecano in 2019 and has since gone to make 120 appearances for the club, scoring six goals and providing 14 assists to go with his defensive duties as although he has largely been used as a left-back, he can be deployed as a left wing-back too.
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Having impressed for the La Liga outfit, according to Matteo Moretto on Relevo, he has attracted interest from Villa, with Emery said to have requested him.
It’s added that no official bid has been lodged as of yet but informal contact has been made, and so now we await to see if further talks result in concrete negotiations over a possible transfer, with Betis said to value Moreno at €15m.
The Spaniard’s current contract runs until 2025 and coupled with his importance to Betis, it’s likely to be difficult to prise him away for less than the touted valuation above.
Meanwhile, the report goes on to suggest that Rennes left-back Adrien Truffert could be an alternative target if talks for Moreno don’t lead anywhere, with the 21-year-old on the other end of the spectrum given his age but he has racked up 96 appearances for his club already, and he also poses an attacking threat with four goals and 12 assists in those outings.
Further, he has been capped at France U21 level, and so it remains to be seen if he becomes a more realistic and sensible target as Emery seemingly looks to improve his options at left-back.
Lucas Digne has been an ever-present since the Villa boss arrived and while it may mean he faces stiffer competition should we sign one of the names noted above, it would be a surprise to see him immediately displaced in the Villa XI.
Conversely, it might not be good news for Ludwig Augustinsson, who is currently on loan with us from Sevilla until the end of the season and having arrived prior to Emery’s appointment, that could be an easy decision for the Villa boss as he looks to mould and shape the squad into his own.
Time will firstly tell if we sign a new left-back in the January transfer window, and if so, what the knock-on effect of that decision is. The important thing though is that Emery is backed by the Villa hierarchy to bring in players he feels will improve his squad and that could in turn also see others move on to make space for any new recruits.
