Aston Villa could make their woes about Douglas Luiz’s departure a thing of the past with one signing.
Now that Unai Emery and Monchi have completed the task of combatting Aston Villa’s PSR concerns, focus will soon turn to possible signings.
The Villans have ‘surpassed their requirement’ to sell players for profit, as per The Athletic, with Emery now eyeing several targets to bolster his squad.
Ian Maatsen and Ross Barkley are poised to join Lewis Dobbin as Villa’s 2024 summer arrivals, with another target now identified.
Aston Villa make contact with transfer target Brais Mendez
Aston Villa are said to be interested in Brais Mendez, who currently represents Real Sociedad in La Liga.
The Express reported that Villa have ‘asked about’ the Spaniard’s availability, with it hinted that Emery is keen to make a swoop from his homeland once again.
Emery has welcomed the likes of Pau Torres and Alex Moreno from La Liga, with there now hope that Mendez can follow suit this summer.
While Villa’s interest is made clear, they aren’t alone in being admirers of the midfielder, who was credited to be valued at £52m in 2023 when Spurs were interested.
Manchester United and Juventus are among the other sides said to be eyeing the attacker, who could be a smart capture for Villa given their activity this summer.
Mendez could be the perfect Douglas Luiz replacement
The overwhelming narrative of Villa’s presence in the transfer market so far is the future of Douglas Luiz, who is set to join Juventus in the coming days.
While Villa had to part ways with the Brazilian to ease their PSR woes, it will be a significant loss for Emery to see the midfielder exit this summer.
Now, the Midlands club must seek a replacement for the 26-year-old, who is involved in a swap deal with Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea.
While Barrenechea can offer Villa a positional replacement, the Argentine is lacking in the creative aspects of his game, which is where Mendez could come in.
As seen above, Luiz and Mendez had statistically similar seasons in 2023/24, with the Villa target thriving in attacking midfield in La Liga.
For his efforts throughout the season, the 27-year-old was dubbed ‘seriously underrated’ by analyst Ben Mattinson, who added that the Sociedad ace is ‘always great to watch’.
If Villa were to capture the Spaniard, Emery could see the creativity lost in Luiz restored by Mendez, who can act as an influential presence in attack.
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