Aston Villa surprises fans with unexpected offer for important Man Utd player no one thought would go
Aston Villa have surprised many by making a bold offer for a Manchester United star, which could be one of the most unexpected moves of this summer’s transfer window.
The Villans had a tough start to the Premier League, losing 4-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend. Manager Unai Emery is feeling the effects of a squad that’s seen some big changes.
Several key players who helped Villa win the Europa League have left, including Morgan Rogers, who made headlines with a record £117 million transfer to Chelsea. Others like Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, and Youri Tielemans have also moved on. Ollie Watkins is close to leaving too, with a £50 million deal agreed to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Watkins joined Villa six years ago in a £28 million move from Brentford.
Watkins’ exit clearly upset Emery, especially with a tough match against champions Arsenal coming up on Monday. But there’s good news too. Villa have already signed Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a club-record £65 million, and Leon Goretzka has joined on a free transfer from Bayern Munich.
The club is also close to agreeing a deal for 18-year-old winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain for around £47 million. And Mbaye might not be the only winger arriving before the window closes.
According to 225foot, a trusted African news source, Villa have made a firm offer for Manchester United’s winger Amad Diallo. They see him as a perfect addition to boost their attack.
Amad, who plays an important role for Michael Carrick, signed a new contract with United until 2030 just last year. The 24-year-old is set to be key as United returns to the Champions League.
He missed their recent 2-0 loss to Hull City due to a minor injury and won’t be available for their upcoming home game against Ipswich Town, as confirmed by Carrick. Amad is expected to be back for the match against Everton next weekend. It’s unlikely that United, owned by INEOS, would let such an exciting player leave, especially to a rival.
While Villa are making a bold move for Diallo, United are also interested in signing from Villa to strengthen their own squad. They already signed Tielemans and, according to insider Pete O’Rourke, have made a surprise inquiry about Villa’s left-back Ian Maatsen.
Strengthening the left side of defense has been a priority for Carrick this summer. He tried hard to sign Lewis Hall from Newcastle, who aren’t willing to sell, and also looked into Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde, who prefers to stay at Camp Nou.
Other names linked with this position recently include Racing Santander’s promising full-back Jorge Salinas and El Hadji Malick Diouf, who just joined Brentford on Friday.