Aston Villa are plotting a move for an “unbelievable” midfielder, who is now looking increasingly likely to leave rival Premier League club West Ham United.
Update on Villa’s financial situation ahead of summer transfer window
Villa’s well-documented PSR issues have made it difficult to splash the cash in recent transfer windows, and despite it looking very likely they will return to the Champions League next season, they may find it tricky to retain Youri Tielemans, according to ex-scout Mick Brown.
“There’s been lots of talk that Aston Villa could lose players. A lot will depend on their finances, they haven’t been able to spend in their last couple of windows unless they sell players first.
“I expect that still to be the case, and so it might mean they’re forced to sell one of their big players for a huge fee, and that can go towards investing in the squad.
“Tielemans is one who stands out in that regard because he has been so impressive. There are a number of European clubs looking at him because he’s very highly regarded and has an excellent reputation, so if he’s available then there will be suitors.”
It is unclear what sort of fee would be deemed acceptable, but the Villans would surely want Tielemans to be one of their record sales, which could give them the requisite funds to bring in a statement signing as a replacement.
Villa eyeing big-money signing of Mateus Fernandes
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are now plotting a move for West Ham United star Mateus Fernandes, with Nuno’s side looking to hold out for at least £80m, should they manage to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
However, the high price tag will fall if the Hammers are unable to pip Tottenham Hotspur to 17th place, which is good news for the clubs in the race for several top clubs in the race for his signature, such as Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea.
Although it has been a difficult campaign for West Ham, the one-cap Portugal international, who is deemed likely to leave, has caught the eye on a personal level, receiving praise from scout Jacek Kulig after impressing against Brighton back in December.
The 21-year-old has remained a key player for the Irons, making 34 Premier League appearances, and he has outperformed Tielemans across some key metrics.
Mateus Fernandes vs Youri Tielemans
Unlike Tielemans, Fernandes, who is represented by the same agent as Unai Emery, has managed to stay fit throughout the campaign, and he has six goal involvements to his name.
Mateus Fernandes’ Premier League statistics
- 2,844 minutes played
- 3 goals
- 3 assists
- 40.0 accurate passes per 90
- 34 chances created
- 3.1 tackles per 90
- 5.4 recoveries per 90
The Villa midfielder, on the other hand, has missed large parts of the campaign, with calf and ankle injuries limiting him to 23 Premier League appearances.
Youri Tielemans’ Premier League statistics
- 1,756 minutes played
- 0 goals
- 4 assists
- 46.6 accurate passes per 90
- 29 chances created
- 2.8 tackles per 90
- 4.7 recoveries per 90
Fernandes is also outperforming the Belgian in terms of his FotMob match rating, averaging 7.22, which would rank him second in Villa’s squad.
|
Ranking |
Aston Villa’s top performers |
Average match rating |
|
1 |
Boubacar Kamara |
7.25 |
|
2 |
Youri Tielemans |
7.14 |
|
3 |
Emiliano Martinez |
7.08 |
|
4 |
John McGinn |
6.97 |
|
5 |
Morgan Rogers |
6.95 |
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He’s been a revelation for Unai Emery’s side lately.
