Argentine Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez received just 5.7 on his Live.sporten.com player rating after their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens, on the other hand, had a solid 7.er.
It was difficult to score on the Belgian goalkeeper who will save many points for Manchester United going forward. Bets in the Champions League can quickly be saved by success for English teams, so that the Premier League is awarded 5th rather than 4th place. If Aston Villa and manager Unai Emery manage to keep the frustration level down, Sporten.com’s expert panel believes that the team from the resort town will land in 5th place.
Meeting with the owners this week!
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It should frustrate Unai Emery greatly that Aston Villa are constantly selling away their best players and at the same time cannot afford to replace with players he wants. – There are too many loan agreements, which he hates, and too little long-term thinking. We mention a lot, Marcus Rashford, who is now on loan at Barcelona and Jadon Sancho, tied to the club until the end of the season. (Sancho is injured, by the way)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is frustrated with the club’s owners and management. – The club delivers far above what the budgets would indicate and if it is to continue, something must be done. Emery requires long-term thinking and wants player acquisitions, where he himself has a lot to say, so as not to look further. A meeting will be held with the ownership group V Sports in the next few days, where an expanded role, for Unai Emery, will be discussed.
One requirement is to bring in Alexander Sørloth from Atletico Madrid and bring in a goalkeeper who can challenge Emiliano Martínez who is on a downward curve.
Atlético Madrid could lose their Norwegian goal machine this summer. Aston Villa have made a bid of €35 million – and want to bring him back to England.
The Spanish capital club has fought their way up to 3rd place in La Liga after a strong spring season. Much of the credit is attributed to manager Diego Simeone’s choice to increase Alexander Sørloth’s playing time throughout the season – a decision that has paid off solidly.
There are already many Norwegians in English football, but only two can really be called superstars: Erling Braut Haaland at Manchester City and Martin Ødegaard, captain of Arsenal. Jørgen Strand Larsen aspires to his new club Crystal Palace, but has some way to go. If Aston Villa get their way, we could soon get a third Norwegian superstar in the Premier League.
Aston Villa want to sign the Norwegian striker
According to Spanish and English sources, Aston Villa have made a concrete bid of 35 million euros for the Norwegian international striker. The bid is structured with 30 million euros fixed and 5 million in variables – a sum Atlético must decide.
Sørloth has a contract with Atlético until 2028, which gives the club a solid negotiating position. Still, the management of Madrid knows that a bid of this size can be difficult to refuse, especially considering that the striker turns 31 in December.
Sørloth’s way back to the top
Alexander Sørloth has had a long and tortuous road back to Europe’s football league. After breaking through at Bodø/Glimt, he moved on to FC Copenhagen, before making the move to Crystal Palace and the Premier League in 2018.
The move to England was not an immediate success. Stays in Belgian side Gent and Dutch side Vitesse came to the rescue, before he really exploded in Turkish Trabzonspor with 24 goals in 34 games. That earned him a move to RB Leipzig, where he scored 5 goals in a season and a half before moving on to Villarreal in 2023.
After a quick stint at Villarreal, where he scored 4 goals in 13 games, he was brought to Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2024. In Diego Simeone’s system, he has finally reached his full potential. With 16 goals in 40 games this season, he has become a key piece in the attack – and proof that he belongs at the top level.
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Great faith in Norwegian striker
At Aston Villa, Sørloth is seen as the perfect reinforcement. With his physicality, strength in the box and ability to hold on to the ball with his back to goal, he fits perfectly into the Premier League style. The club has previously brought in Norwegians like Stefan Strandberg, but never a striker of Sørloth’s calibre.
Focus on the cup final
For now, Sørloth is fully focused on Atlético’s end of the season. The team still has the cup final in their sights, and the Norwegian has repeatedly stated that he enjoys his time in Madrid. At the same time, the thought of a new opportunity in the Premier League is tempting – this time with a club that is going all in.
At Atlético, there are now internal discussions: Should they sell their Norwegian goalscorer for 35 million euros, or continue to invest in a player who has finally settled into Spanish football?
Whatever the outcome: Alexander Sørloth has proven that he belongs at the top of Europe – and the interest from Aston Villa is just the latest proof of that.
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After today’s loss, Aston Villa are in 4th place in the table.
