Agbonlahor reacts to Kevin De Bruyne transfer shock at Aston Villa
Aston Villa have been linked with a stunning move for Kevin De Bruyne this summer after the midfielder announced he was leaving Manchester City.
With the transfer window just around the corner, the Birmingham outfit are already preparing for the new season.
Unai Emery’s second full season in charge has been another massive success, with European football once again likely.
Villa could also win their first major trophy this century as they prepare for their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace this weekend.
Now, the club has been linked with a shock move for Kevin De Bruyne with Gabby Agbonlahor giving his take on the potential transfer.
Agbonlahor explains why Aston Villa cannot sign De Bruyne
There is no question that De Bruyne is one of the best players to ever grace the Premier League.
The midfielder has won every trophy possible with Man City, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League.
Therefore, when the midfielder announced that he would be leaving Man City at the end of the campaign, it came as a massive shock to many football fans around the world.
While De Bruyne is not the player he was a few years ago, he is still a star who oozes quality and has had an impressive campaign.
| Kevin De Bruyne’s stats in the 2024/25 season | |
| Appearances | 35 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 8 |
As a result, when Villa were recently linked with signing De Bruyne by Sky Sports (24 April), it came as a massive surprise.
Yet, Agbonlahor simply cannot see the signing going through, despite the midfielder being available on a free, due to the Belgian international’s wages.
He told Talksport (25 April): “No, Villa cannot be paying another £300k a week contract, we just can’t do that.
“Our wage bill is not far off what we bring in revenue-wise.”
Champions League qualification will determine Aston Villa’s transfer window
While De Bruyne is likely out of the question no matter what happens, many of Villa’s targets will depend on whether they qualify for the Champions League.
With just four games left of the season, the Birmingham outfit are two points behind fifth but have played a game more than the majority of teams.
However, if they manage to overcome this and reach the top five, they should be able to attract the best players in the world to the club once more.
Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze have recently been linked with a move to Aston Villa. On top of this, Villa could still sign Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio permanently after successful loans.
An FA Cup victory could also do wonders for Villa as it proves that trophies are there to be won.
However, only time will tell on how successful their upcoming transfer window will be.