Aston Villa close to Samuel Iling Jr as incredible three medicals scheduled – Fabrizio Romano
Samuel Iling-Junior will become an Aston Villa player with the first of three medicals set to take place this week, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian journalist posted on X to say that Iling-Junior will undergo his medical on 25 June as a Villa player, with Enzo Barrenechea also slated to complete tests of his own in the coming days.
At the same time, outgoing midfielder Douglas Luiz will complete his medical ahead of joining Juventus, with the Bianconeri having included Iling-Junior and Barrenchea as part of their deal to sign the Brazilian.
Romano’s post also added that Iling-Junior will sign a five-year deal until 2029 at Villa Park, but is yet to confirm the length of either Barrenechea or Luiz’s contracts as their own transfers edge closer.
Aston Villa get best possible deal in Douglas Luiz transfer
Losing such a key player in Luiz, particularly with a first Champions League campaign in several decades on the horizon, looked set to be a bitter blow for Villa, but Juventus sending two of their own young prospects to Birmingham has sweetened the deal somewhat [David Ornstein, 22 June].
Profit and sustainability worries are the major factor behind selling Luiz to the Serie A side, but adding a 20-year-old, home-grown winger in Iling-Junior could represent brilliant sell-on value further down the line.
Furthermore, as a defensive midfielder, Barrenechea could be set to step straight into the breach vacated by Luiz’s departure, having honed his craft on loan at Frosinone from Juventus last season.
Replacing Luiz, who is expected to play a key role for Brazil in the 2024 Copa America, will be no mean feat for Unai Emery next season, but in Barrenechea he has a youngster with plenty of potential, and a lightning-quick, reliable outlet on the wing in Iling-Junior [Dr Rajpal Brar, 22 June].
In other Aston Villa news, a fresh update has emerged on the club’s pursuit to sign Ross Barkley from Luton Town as Unai Emery’s stance has been detailed.
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