Aston Villa line up club-record signing with money put aside for Marcus Rashford
Aston Villa could be set to complete a club record signing once the summer window opens.
The Villans have been dealt with financial concerns after missing out on Champions League football after a defeat to Manchester United.
This is likely to cause a turbulent few months at Villa Park as PSR concerns once again begin to take a hold in the Midlands.
With that being said, funds have been set aside to bring in Marcus Rashford as a club record deal has been lined up ready for the summer.
Aston Villa prepare £58m summer transfer
There is no doubt that the B6 club are in for a busy window, just as they were 12 months ago when eight players came in, with four of them moving on in the same month.
Although departures of star names like Morgan Rogers and Emi Martinez are feared, incoming deals are still likely to help strengthen the squad in the Midlands.
As a result, there is little surprise that money had been set aside to be able to sign Rashford before a top five place was missed out on, according to FootballTransfers (28 May).
The online outlet have now suggested that those funds could be utilised to sign Brighton ace Joao Pedro after he emerged as “a high-priority transfer target”.
It appears that the Seagulls have placed a £58million valuation on the 23-year-old, which may prove to be out of Villa’s reach after missing out on Champions League qualification.
If the claret and blue outfit were to push a deal for the versatile forward across the line, he would break Amadou Onana’s transfer record from last summer in B6.
Pedro could be perfect for Aston Villa
There is no doubt that Unai Emery altered his side for this season after the departure of Moussa Diaby and Douglas Luiz.
This saw him swap from a 4-4-2 style formation to a more regimented 4-2-3-1, which didn’t always pay off for his side.
| Stat | 2024/25 | 2023/25 |
| Final position | 6 | 4 |
| Points | 66 | 68 |
| Wins | 19 | 20 |
| Losses | 10 | 10 |
| Goals scored | 58 | 61 |
With that being said, the reintroduction of his initial style of play at Villa Park could be in the pipeline if Pedro is to come in.
This could see the Brazilian line up alongside Ollie Watkins with the likes of Rogers, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn in the wide midfield roles, which certainly represents an exciting prospect.