Unai Emery could be a step closer to landing his first Aston Villa signing, as the price tag has been revealed for one of his targets…
What’s the news?
According to TEAMtalk, Sevilla have set a price tag of £26m for goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, with Villa facing a battle with Bayern Munich over the Moroccan World Cup sensation.
Manchester United are also interested in the 31-year-old, although they are thought to be behind Villa and Bayern in the race for the player, who could well be on the move when the transfer window opens next month.
Dream first Villa signing?
On the surface, it doesn’t appear that Villa need a new goalkeeper, as Emiliano Martinez has been in excellent form during the World Cup, keeping three clean sheets as Argentina have marched to a final showdown against France on Sunday.
During Emery’s time managing Arsenal, though, he and Martinez had an alleged fallout, and this could jeopardise the 30-year-old’s immediate future at the club.
It would be a shame for things to end in such a manner, although Bounou would be a more than capable replacement if Emery manages to fend off Bayern for the Moroccan’s signature.
The 30-year-old has been integral in Morocco becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final, keeping three clean sheets in five matches while also saving two penalties in the shoot-out victory over Spain.
His performance against Spain led to widespread praise, with team-mate Romain Saiss saying: “It is amazing for him. He had a heroic game today, not only during the penalties. He just wanted to show why he was named the best La Liga goalkeeper last season. He is a great keeper, he proved it against Spain. We owe him a lot today.”
The Sevilla goalkeeper ranks joint-first for the number of clean sheets kept at the tournament with three, and it looks like the La Liga side are aiming to strike when the iron is hot by selling him after impressing on the global stage.
A fee of £26m is more than affordable for Villa. However, the key question is whether the supporters will want Bounou signed to replace Martinez, or does the Argentine still have a key role to play at the club dispute the apparent rift between him and Emery in the past?
Only time will tell.
