Aston Villa and Emery eyeing move to sign £190,000-a-week "monster" for £0
Aston Villa are now looking at signing an experienced international midfielder on a free transfer, according to a new report.
Unai Emery wants more Champions League football with Aston Villa
The Villans secured a top-four finish in the Premier League during Unai Emery’s first full season at the club. The Spaniard is adamant that he wants to keep Villa in the Champions League over the coming years, saying he wants his Villa team to get even better.
"When I arrived here, my conversations with [owners] Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens were about winning trophies and getting Europe. To get there you have to be competitive. Even if we don’t have the budget, we have to be intelligent and clinical in our decisions. This is still my objective. We are in the Champions League and we want to keep it. It is our challenge.
"It is a dream. It is very difficult. When we were at the beginning of the season playing two matches against City and Arsenal, we won both matches. We were there.
"Those teams are amazing with consistency. I want to get better and I have my dreams and I believe in my dreams. Of course my objectives is to win the Premier League or the Champions League."
"One of the best" open to joining Aston Villa as NSWE plot £47m double bid
It could be the start of an exciting summer at Villa Park.
ByBen Browning
To improve even further, additions in the upcoming summer transfer market could be required, and it looks as if NSWE and Villa are wasting no time in looking to bolster Emery’s squad.
Aston Villa transfer latest
For example, former loanee Ross Barkley is close to returning to Villa Park, this time on a permanent transfer after impressing with Luton Town, with talks at an advanced stage. Barkley could be joined by Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, with the player someone who Emery and Monchi love. Alongside the pair, another target has emerged in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
According to Tutto Juve, Villa are thinking of moving for Rabiot, who Emery considers ‘an exemplary professional and would always like to have a player of his quality in his team’.
At this moment in time, Rabiot will be a free agent at the end of June, although Juventus haven’t given up hope of agreeing new terms with the Frenchman, whereas Bayern Munich and Manchester United have also been interested.
The 29-year-old, on £190,000-a-week with bonuses in Turin, is valued at €40m by Transfermarkt, so securing his services for free could be a shrewd piece of business by Villa.
Rabiot can play as a holding, central or left midfielder and has played more than 400 games in total for PSG and Juventus during his career. He also has plenty of experience in the Champions League, something which could be needed for Villa next season.
Paris Saint-Germain
227
24
14
Juventus
212
22
15
Toulouse
13
1
3
France
43
4
3
Labelled as a “monster” by football writer Robin Bairner, Rabiot will have a decision to make on his future in the coming weeks, making a move to the Midlands one to watch.