Aston Villa central defender Clement Lenglet has enjoyed an extended run in the team in recent weeks, with seven of his ten Premier League appearances coming in 2024, following a knee injury to regular starter Ezri Konsa.
The former Brentford star recently returned to the team against Luton Town and started alongside the France international, with Pau Torres the one to miss out on the bench. Lenglet's future at Villa Park is far from certain, though, as he is currently on loan from Spanish giants Barcelona and there is no option to make it permanent.
Mundo Deportivo recently reported that there has been a suggestion that the Villans could swoop to sign him for a second season on loan, or on a permanent basis, in the summer, which would allow the La Liga side to part ways with him.
At this moment in time however, with just over two months left to go until the end of the season, it remains to be seen whether or not Lenglet will still be a Villa player by the start of the 2024/25 campaign. A fresh report on their interest in another central defender, who is currently thriving in Italy, could place further doubt on the 28-year-old's future at the club.
Latest Aston Villa transfer news
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Aston Villa are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Juventus centre-back Dean Huijsen this summer.
Sporting director Monchi has been investigating how much it would cost to sign the 18-year-old colossus, who is currently on loan with Roma, to bolster Unai Emery's squad later this year.
The report claims that the Villans chief has been told in talks with Juve that it would take a fee of up to €35m (£30m) to convince the Serie A giants to part ways with their talented young defender.
Huijsen, who has also been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, has also attracted interest from RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Huijsen a future star for Villa
At the age of 18, Huijsen may not be signed as a player who could come in to make an immediate impact, like the prime-aged Lenglet, but he could be a fantastic long-term addition for what Monchi and Emery are building at the club.
His technical ability was once described as "phenomenal" by U23 scout Antonio Mango and that was on full display when he found the back of the net against Frosinone recently.
The teenage prodigy has scored two goals in ten Serie A appearances for Roma this term, and this should not come as a shock to anyone who followed his academy career.
Huijsen scored 18 goals in 71 appearances for Juventus at various age groups combined as a centre-back. This shows that he can carry a big attacking threat from that position, which could strengthen Emery's side when it comes to scoring from set-pieces.
The Roma loanee, however, has lost 55% of his duels in the Serie A. This suggests that he needs to improve his physicality to avoid being dominated by opposition players, which could come with age as he grows into his 6 foot 5 frame and gains more experience.
Villa could bring him in as a long-term project who could immediately replace Lenglet as cover for the likes of Tyrone Mings, Torres, Konsa, and Diego Carlos, with a view to making the starting XI further down the line.
