Fabrizio Romano shares update on Aston Villa and Leonardo Spinazzola with Roma exit now expected
Roma full-back Leonardo Spinazzola is not on the Aston Villa transfer shortlist for the January window, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian transfer guru shared on his personal Twitter account (9 January) that the Roma and Italian international star is not on the agenda at Villa Park this month.
The 30-year-old is expected to leave the Stadio Olimpico but Aston Villa are not actively pursuing him despite several links to his signature already (La Roma 24, 8 January).
Romano posted: “Leonardo Spinazzola, not part of Aston Villa shortlist for January transfer window despite recent links.
“Spinazzola, expected to leave Roma but Aston Villa not working on this deal.”
Shame
The Athletic reporter Jacob Tanswell (3 January) shared that Villa and manager Unai Emery will be on the prowl for new full-backs either this month or next summer meaning the likes of Lucas Digne could well be on his way out.
There were talks during pre-season regarding an exit for the Frenchman but it never materialised and given his hefty £120,000-per-week wages, a departure is seen as a considerable alleviation on the club’s financial books.
Given Digne’s tremendous form for Aston Villa this season, his huge wage package in Birmingham is certainly seen as something that could be a huge pressure reliever on their finances over the summer which certainly means a surprise exit is on the cards.
If that is to be the case soon then the Villans must start chasing potential targets this month and Spinazzola could well have proven a superb option given his star quality.
The Roma full-back possesses all the attributes and mentality needed to thrive in the Premier League and has already shown on the grandest European stage at Euro 2022 that he can be one of the best in his position.
But, and this is a huge but, Roma are letting him go for a reason. It could well be that he’s past his best after recent injury blows or that his wages are too high with the club facing financial pressure behind the scenes.
With Villa also needing to free up some space on the wage bill, a move for Spinazzola would not have made financial sense.
In other Aston Villa news, a first-team regular has been dubbed a “hero” by Garth Crooks.