Aston Villa are trying to sign a Manchester United player who played 32 Premier League games last season.
Aston Villa have made a shocking bid for a Manchester United star – which could be one of the biggest surprises of the summer window.
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The Villans opened the Premier League season last weekend with a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, and Unai Emery really felt the loss of a greatly reduced squad. – It didn’t fare much better with Manchester United, who lost humiliatingly enough to newly promoted Hull City. – It was probably not a coincidence, Hull City just won their second game of the season and currently top the Premier League alongside Manchester City.
Emery has lost several of the key players who secured him the Europa League title – not least Morgan Rogers, who completed a British record transfer to Chelsea worth £117 million. In addition, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa and Youri Tielemans have left the club.
Ollie Watkins is also close to leaving Villa Park after accepting a £50m move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal – six years after joining from Brentford for £28 million.
Watkins’ departure left a visible mark on Emery, who is now preparing for a clash against league champions Arsenal on Monday. But the Spaniard has reason to be optimistic after a tough couple of weeks.
Villa have already replaced Watkins with a club-record £65 million for Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea, while Leon Goretzka has arrived on a free transfer from Bayern Munich.
The Midland giants have also reached a verbal agreement with Paris Saint-Germain winger Ibrahim Mbaye for a sum in the region of £47 million – and the 18-year-old is unlikely to be the only winger who could be ready before the window closes.
According to 225foot, a well-established African news outlet, Villa have officially made a “concrete” bid for Manchester United winger Amad Diallo – and see the speedy technician as the ideal reinforcement for the attack.
Amad is a key piece for Michael Carrick and signed a new contract until 2030 at the start of last year. The 24-year-old is expected to play an important role now that United are back in the Champions League.
United’s No. 16 was not in the squad that lost 2-0 to Hull City last Saturday after picking up a minor injury in training. Carrick has since confirmed that he will not be fit for the home game against Ipswich Town either: “Amad will not be in the squad – he will be out a little longer.”
Amad is expected to return for the away game against Everton next weekend and it is highly unlikely that INEOS will give the green light for a sale of the exciting winger – especially to a division rival.
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Man United want Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen
While Villa have entered the field with an ambitious bid for the ivory coaster, Manchester United are also trying to sign one of Villa’s players to close a problem area.
United have already signed Tielemans from the Premier League club, and according to transfer insider Pete O’Rourke, the Red Devils have made a surprise request for left-back Ian Maatsen.
Left-back is a position Carrick has wanted to strengthen throughout the summer, and he desperately tried to bring Lewis Hall from Newcastle United – who refuse to sell.
The 13-time Premier League champion has also explored a deal for Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde, but the Spaniard wants to stay at Camp Nou.
Jorge Salinas, the highly-rated full-back from Racing Santander, has been linked with the club in recent weeks – as has El Hadji Malick Diouf, who signed for Brentford on Friday.
