Aston Villa ‘to agree £20m deal’ for ‘outstanding’ Stoke City gem – Exclusive
Aston Villa could be set to agree their first signing of the summer after registering serious interest in a Stoke City gem.
Villa have issues with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and also need to make a settlement payment to UEFA as they frantically work to balance the books.
As a result, the West Midlands outfit may need to employ a sell-to-buy strategy, with star striker Ollie Watkins one of the players at risk of being sold to increase funds.
However, Villa have remained active in scouting the market and have identified a potential opportunity.
Villa register interest in Stoke City’s Sol Sidibe
Villa’s ability to sign established players on high wages, such as Marco Asensio, has become somewhat doubtful, prompting the club to focus more on up-and-coming players.
As reported by John Percy (6 June), Villa are keen to continue signing “outstanding” young talent and have registered a “serious interest” in Stoke City’s England Under-18 international Sol Sidibe.
| Competition | Appearances | Minutes Played |
| Championship | 8 | 304′ |
| Carabao Cup | 4 | 329′ |
| FA Cup | 1 | 60′ |
However, Sidibe signed a three-year contract with Stoke last summer.
Therefore, ex-Villa scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – believes the Potters could be looking for a £20million package.
“It will be a progressive deal, I’d imagine,” King said.
“The initial fee would probably be around £10m, and that could rise to £20m if the player fulfils what Villa expect of him. That would be the sort of deal that Stoke City would be looking for.
“There would probably be some sort of fixture thrown into that, too. I’m sure the player would be keen on a move; Villa are a big club who are playing in Europe next season.”
Villa need to add depth in midfield
Sidibe would not only be an exciting signing for the future, but would give Unai Emery a much-needed option in central midfield.
Villa ultimately ran out of steam at the end of the season, with Morgan Rodgers and Youri Tielemans both playing close to 4,500 minutes across all competitions.
Only Emi Martinez spent more time on the pitch. Therefore, with John McGinn now in his thirties, Villa desperately need to be able to rotate in the middle of the park to effectively implement Emery’s work-intensive style of play.