Aston Villa could move for Jeremy Doku as Moussa Diaby alternative – Fabrizio Romano
Aston Villa have included Jeremy Doku on their shortlist of wingers, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian journalist reported via Twitter (16 July) that the Rennes forward is a target for Villa if they cannot complete a deal for Bayer Leverkusen ace Moussa Diaby.
Diaby remains the priority and Villa will bid again after they saw an offer of £30million plus add-ons knocked back.
However, they could now face competition according to Ben Jacobs. The broadcaster reported via Twitter (16 July) that Al-Nassr have now made a £37m bid for Diaby, while Leverkusen are holding out for closer to £47m.
Race against time
Aston Villa will now need to make a decision quickly with Al-Nassr providing competition for the signature of Diaby.
The mouthwatering wages that can likely be offered by the Saudi Arabian club might tempt Diaby, and Villa will want to move quickly to strike a deal if the Bayer Leverkusen star is still their priority.
If a deal cannot be agreed for Diaby, however, then Doku would not be a bad backup option. The 21-year-old put up brilliant numbers across the last calendar year compared to his positional peers across Europe.
Doku was in the top one per cent for a range of statistics, as per FBREF. These included the number of progressive carries (6.95), passes into the penalty area (2.71), and shot-creating actions (5.77) he made per 90.
He was also in the top one per cent for the number of take-ons he attempted (10.95) and successful take-ons (6.59) he made per 90.
Whichever player ends up at Villa Park this summer, if either, will be sure to leave fans feeling excited next season.
In other Aston Villa news, Alan Hutton has had his say on a potential loan deal this summer.