Aston Villa hold key advantage in Christopher Nkunku negotiations as AC Milan hold talks

Aston Villa look as if they are going to have to work hard to complete the signing of Christopher Nkunku.

The Villans have endured a challenging summer in the transfer market and have found it difficult to add to their squad due to their financial constraints.

Villa have now identified Nkunku as a possible option in the final stages of the transfer window, and have already made an approach to Chelsea regarding a possible move.

Unai Emery and Co. will be hopeful to add more new faces to the squad after a frustrating start to the Premier League campaign, and they now look set to face a battle for Nkunku.

Unai Emery slammed his players as "lazy"
Credit: Imago

Aston Villa hold Europa League advantage as AC Milan approach Christopher Nkunku

Villa would have fancied their chances of signing Nkunku, given that the forward has seemed keen on a move away from Stamford Bridge ahead of the deadline.

He is willing to take a pay cut in order to facilitate the right move, but Emery and Villa will now face competition for his signature in the form of AC Milan.

The Italian giants have made contact with Chelsea in order to explore the possibility of doing a deal, according to Fabrizio Romano via X.

Internal discussions about Nkunku have been held at the San Siro, and that will surely have put everybody at Villa Park on red alert.

Ordinarily, the second city outfit would be unlikely to fancy their chances of beating Milan to the deal, but they hold a crucial advantage on this occasion.

Emery’s side can offer Europa League football next term, which could provide them with a slight edge on their Italian counterparts, who have no European football to offer to prospective signings after an uncharacteristically poor performance last term.

Nkunku may value that opportunity to continue to play in continental competitions, and as such, Villa could still hold the edge in the race.

Christopher Nkunku would be a great signing for Villa

Nkunku would be an interesting addition for Villa if they could get a deal over the line, given the versatility that he can provide in the final third.

The Frenchman is primarily an attacking midfielder, but he can also operate on the flanks or as an out-and-out striker.

That will provide Emery with ample flexibility in the attacking half of the team, and it could be an addition that unlocks the potential in the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins once again.

The B6 side need a spark to kick-start their campaign, and Nkunku could be the perfect man to provide that.

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