Unai Emery is now eyeing a move for an ‘extraordinary’ right-back to rival Ezri Konsa at Aston Villa.
Aston Villa are looking to build on their incredible 2023/24 campaign which saw them qualify for the Champions League by being active in the transfer market.
Unai Emery’s men have dominated the headlines so far in what has been a hectic few weeks since the season drew to a close.
Douglas Luiz and Jhon Duran could be on their way out of the club to Juventus and Chelsea respectively while Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie are poised to arrive.
That would only resolve two issues for Emery, though, with Villa also needing a new right-back to either replace Matty Cash or rival Ezri Konsa.
Aston Villa want Saudi Arabian star Saud Abdulhamid
A huge topic of discussion recently has been the future of Cash, who has attracted interest from AC Milan.
Villa are willing to let the Poland international leave while reports have claimed that Emery’s side are leading the race for Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries.
That would be a more than ideal replacement for the 26-year-old however, Dumfries isn’t the only player the Villans have their eye on, with The Guardian journalist Will Unwin claiming they want Saudi Arabian right back Saud Abdulhamid.
Unwin has revealed that Villa alongside West Ham, Nottingham Forest, OGC Nice and Toulouse have all joined entered the race for the 24-year-old who is valued at £3 million.
Abdulhamid currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal and last season registered three goals and four assists.
Where Saud Abdulhamid would fit in at Aston Villa
Part of the Saudi Arabian side that pulled off a famous victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Abdulhamid has experience of excelling on the international stage.
The talented right-back held his own against the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria on that day, and has since made history for his club.
Abdulhamid played an integral role in Al-Hilal’s unbeaten title-winning campaign last term, producing seven goal contributions down the right flank in 32 appearances, with head coach Jorge Jesus dubbing him “extraordinary”.
Very rarely do Saudi Arabian players make the journey across to Europe however, Abdulhamid’s talents have warranted interest from several Premier League sides.
The Saudi international is the best wing-back in the division by a huge margin – his attacking and possession metrics are elite compared to others in the league with a crossing accuracy of 48.7% and a pass completion rate of 85.9%.
In terms of where he would fit in at Aston Villa, there will be question marks over whether he can translate that quality across to Europe. That means it’s highly unlikely he displaces Konsa in the side or is a direct replacement for Cash but for £3 million, he’d be a solid backup option with potential resale value.
The post Unai Emery now wants ‘extraordinary’ Ezri Konsa rival at Aston Villa, he’d only cost £3m appeared first on Aston Villa News.