Aston Villa scouts in attendance for Europa League game – here’s who they may have been looking at
Aston Villa were one of a number of clubs who sent scouts to watch KRC Genk in Europa League action on Thursday night.
That is according to Belgian outlet Sporza, who have shared that seven Premier League clubs sent representatives.
Among those clubs are the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, so the transfer battle may be difficult in the summer for the Villa Park side.
The Belgian outfit progressed in the competition following a 3-3 draw against Dinamo Zagreb, beating them 6-4 on aggregate.
So plenty of players are sure to have impressed in that six-goal thriller, and we have a few names that may be of interest to Unai Emery.
Who were Aston Villa watching at KRC Genk?
As the season begins to come to a close, it comes as no surprise that teams are beginning to ramp up their efforts ahead of the summer transfer window, and Aston Villa are no different.
Genk have plenty of top talents at their disposal, and Sporza have detailed quite a few players who may have been of interest to Villa.
Midfielder Kos Karetsas has been named, but the Greek did not feature on Thursday night due to concussion, so if he was of interest, that scouting mission has not gone to plan.
However, his talent is clear to see.
Additionally, Zakaria El Ouahdi, Yaimar Medina and Matte Smets are three other highly tipped players with an exit in the summer.
El Ouahdi is a right-sided player who can operate both on the wing and in defence, while Medina plays in midfield, with Smets being a 22-year-old centre-back.
- Read more: Aston Villa are also eyeing Pavel Sulc – find out all the latest details on that interest
Who is most likely to be signed by Aston Villa?
Out of the four names mentioned, Smets jumps out as the most likely signing in the summer for Emery’s side.
Villa have previously tracked Smets, with interest seemingly still being held a year on from the initial links.
The young defender is known for his ball-playing qualities, and with his market value currently slated at £9.6million, it could be a cost-effective deal for the B6 outfit.
However, a fee at that range may be unlikely due to how highly rated Smets is, and it could see Villa send Genk a club record fee for a defender.
As it stands, Joakim Maehle is the Belgian club’s most expensive defensive departure, with his move to Atalanta totalling £12m.
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