‘Aston Villa tipped to join El Khannouss chase’ as approach made – Exclusive
Aston Villa could be about to join the race to sign Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester City.
El Khannouss was one of Leicester’s brightest performers last season as the Foxes suffered immediate relegation back to the Championship.
As a result, there are now several Premier League sides who are chasing his signature. El Khannouss has only spent one season at the King Power Stadium, but he already looks set to move on, with his £22.5million relegation release clause enticing interest from plenty of clubs.
Unai Emery is looking to strengthen his attacking ranks this summer, and the Villans could now be about to throw their hat into the ring to sign the Moroccan.
Aston Villa told to look at El Khannouss
Aston Villa have been linked with several big-money additions this summer, but they could now be about to go after a slightly more modest target in El Khannouss.
Everton are already understood to have made an approach to sign the Leicester man, according to talkSPORT (16 July), and the likes of Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and West Ham are also understood to be lurking.
Ex-Villa scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – believes that the 21-year-old is a player who Emery and Co. should be paying attention to, especially given their proximity to his current club.
“I think Aston Villa should be having a look at a player like El Khannouss,” King said.
“He’s right on their doorstep, and he’d certainly be a decent squad player. However, he’s not a player that excites me.
“He played well for Leicester last season, but they got relegated. He might have done well, but he’s not a player that excites me at all.”
El Khannouss has plenty of room to improve
Villa have been linked with moves for several impressive young talents this summer, and the former Genk man would be another acquisition who would have plenty of room to improve at Villa Park.
He has performed well in Belgium during the early stages of his career, and a Premier League move felt like an inevitable product of that.
The youngster was a rare positive in what was a dismal campaign for Leicester last term, and it seems as though he will be offered the opportunity to avoid the drop into the Championship by at least one of the interested parties.
El Khannouss is not a signing who would attract many headlines, but at just £22.5m, he could prove to be a shrewd piece of business for Villa in a couple of years.
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