Aston Villa are reportedly on the verge of signing Kasimpasa defender Yasin Ozcan in a deal said to be worth €8m in total.
Speculation has been rife so far this month as Villa are actively looking to strengthen Unai Emery’s squad, both in the short-term and long-term future.
READ MORE: Why touted Villa signing could be another astute addition and address key issue
An area of the Basque coach’s squad that has been highlighted by many as being in need of improving is our defence, as we’ve struggled to keep clean sheets again this season and have conceded 32 goals in 20 Premier League games thus far, giving us the worst defensive record of the top 10 sides in the standings.
In turn, although this touted swoop won’t help fix the problem immediately, it could be a long-term solution for us as The Athletic report that Villa are closing in on the signing of Ozcan, with €7m being paid initially, and a possible €1m in add-ons in the future.
Further, it’s added that the Turkish defender will sign a contract until 2030 as he arrives to undergo his medical on Tuesday, while he will return to Kasimpasa on loan for the remainder of this season to continue to gain experience through regular playing time.
The 18-year-old came through the youth ranks at Kasimpasa before making his breakthrough with the senior squad in 2022, and he has since gone on to make 78 appearances.
In addition to having strong positional awareness and reading of the game to show promise as a defender, he has also scored five goals and provided three assists, which in turn shows he’s also a threat at the other end of the pitch with his height, standing at just over 6ft, while he boasts technical ability, composure and an eye for a pass to make him a key player in possession too.
He has been capped from U16s to U21s level for Turkey, and so he hopefully has a bright future ahead of him at club and international level, with the next chapter of his career seemingly set to be spent with us and under Emery’s guidance.
Ozcan’s most natural role is as a left-sided centre-half, but he can also play at left-back, and so that versatility will no doubt be helpful moving forward. It’s an important addition with a longer term vision in mind though, potentially with the view of replacing the likes of Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres further down the line, with Monchi and our scouting department evidently confident in their ability to spot a talent with real potential.
It’s a similar scenario to what Villa did with Kosta Nedeljkovic last January, and it’s hoped that these top young talents that we’re identifying and developing will go on to play important roles in a Villa shirt in the coming years.