Aston Villa have reportedly set their sights on Levante right-back Andres Garcia and are said to be going ‘all out’ to secure his signature.
The 21-year-old has come through the youth ranks at the Spanish outfit and made his breakthrough at senior level in July 2023, and he has since gone on to make 50 appearances, scoring four goals and providing six assists to go with his defensive work.
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It appears as though he has caught the eye of Villa, with Unai Emery, Monchi and the scouting team seemingly prioritising the signing of a right-back this month to bolster our defensive options.
According to Relevo, Villa are pressing to win the race to sign Garcia, as they look to fend off interest from Real Betis and Sporting Lisbon, and it’s suggested that we’ve moved into pole position given our financial strength and appeal to the player with our ability to offer Premier League and Champions League football, as well as having Emery as his coach to guide the next chapter of his career.
Further, it’s added that our intention is to sign him and integrate him immediately rather than loan him back out, while the touted price-tag could be in excess of €10m, as that’s what is noted in the report as being the offer from Sporting.
It’s an intriguing development in our search for a right-back this month, as various other names have previously been paired with a move to join us. Garcia could potentially now emerge as our top choice to address the issue, and if so, that would suggest that the Villa management clearly believe in his talent and potential and see him as the best fit for our system and style of play.
Whether it’s Garcia or an alternative target who arrives this month, they will be pushing Matty Cash for a starting berth, as Emery has previously hinted that Kosta Nedeljkovic could leave on loan as he looks to gain experience and develop his game to ensure that he isn’t the forgotten man in all of this.
Having already signed Donyell Malen, who effectively is an upgrade and replacement for Jaden Philogene, Villa could be set to strengthen in another key position in the coming days, and time will tell if it’s Garcia who eventually emerges as the priority transfer target for Emery and Co.