Aston Villa told to snap up James Garner in £25m swoop from Everton after what insider has seen
Aston Villa could make Everton star James Garner their next January transfer target.
Villa showed a keen interest in Conor Gallagher and even reached a club-to-club agreement with Atletico Madrid for the Englishman.
Unai Emery finally looked set to bring Gallagher to Villa on a cut-price deal, but the deal looks to have fallen through in B6.
Just days after Villa secured a 2-1 win over Tottenham in the FA Cup, the Lilywhites have seemingly beaten the Midlands outfit to the ex-Chelsea man’s signature.
Missing out on Gallagher will be a blow for the Villans, but it could open the door for Garner to swap Everton for Villa Park this winter.
Aston Villa could now target Everton star James Garner
Villa wanted to bring Gallagher in for additional midfield depth, but he appears to have bizarrely chosen Thomas Frank over Emery.
The B6 hierarchy won’t dwell on a player who doesn’t want to play in claret and blue, instead turning attention to those who do.
Garner could prove to be a superb option for the Villans after a terrific campaign with Everton so far, sparking plenty of interest as his contract ticks down.
The Englishman is available on a free transfer at the end of the season, but former Villa scout Bryan King believes a £25million fee would be needed to tempt him away from Everton this winter.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, King said: “He’s on a free in the summer, but they’ll have to pay in January.
“I don’t see Everton letting him go on loan, so they’ll have to go in with a decent money offer.
“If they had money set aside for Gallagher, then it must be there for someone like Garner.
“If he leaves Everton in January, they’ll want at least £25m for him.
“Garner has been central to Everton, so he’s the kind of player Villa will want, someone of that calibre.“
Garner statistically profiles better than Conor Gallagher
In a strange way, Villa could actually land a better player by missing out on their number one midfield target this winter.
Gallagher has struggled for regular minutes in LaLiga this season, but has hardly set the world alight when given the chance by Diego Simeone.
Garner has outperformed the Atleti man in duel success, progressive carries, progressive passes and key passes this season, something which Emery will surely love.
The ex-Manchester United man has operated as a right-back at times for Everton, but clearly has the capability to also feature further forward.
Garner already has apparent quality and would also improve in this high-flying Villa squad, something which could make a cut-price winter deal even better than a Gallagher swoop.
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