With Mateu Alemany’s expected arrival, Aston Villa are reportedly setting our sights on a trio of transfer targets in La Liga.
While we’re still awaiting official confirmation from the club about Alemany’s appointment in a key directorial role, there has been heavy speculation that it’s simply a matter of time before the announcement comes.
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In turn, it’s expected to be a busy summer transfer window for Villa with Unai Emery and Alemany working closely to strengthen our squad, and trying to make us increasingly competitive.
Albeit there is still plenty to play for this season with three games remaining in the Premier League campaign, planning needs to get underway behind the scenes in terms of who we’re targeting and how the squad will shape up next year, and rumours continue to link us with interest in various names.
According to AS, Alemany is scouring the Spanish market for potential reinforcements for Emery, with Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena, Real Madrid playmaker Marco Asensio and Barcelona forward Ferran Torres said to be on our transfer radar.
The report adds that although Alemany is continuing to work for Barcelona as an advisor until the summer, he has started planning for his role with us and these three names have emerged as being of potential interest.
Baena, 21, is a player Emery knows from his time at Villarreal and will be fully aware of what he can add to his current group, while he has scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 43 appearances so far this season.
As for Asensio, the 27-year-old is set to become a free agent this summer as things stand with his current Real Madrid contract set to expire in June, and with 11 goals and eight assists in 46 outings this season, he has continued to play an important role for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
In contrast, Torres has had a more limited role despite appearing 41 times for Barcelona so far this campaign, contributing seven goals and two assists.
Time will tell if any of the three named emerge as genuine targets and possible signings for Villa this summer, but given the influence of Emery and Alemany and their knowledge of the Spanish market, it would come as no surprise if we see the bulk of our work being done in La Liga this summer.
It’s worked well for us so far with the addition of Alex Moreno in January, and if we can continue to add real quality to the squad to improve us and make us more competitive, then it will hopefully lead to a continuation of the progress we’ve seen thus far since Emery arrived.