Aston Villa have made Trezeguet available for a transfer in the January sales alongside talks with Everton over the departure of Anwar El Ghazi this month, according to the Daily Mail.
The Villans are currently speaking with the Toffees over a deal that will see El Ghazi move to Goodison Park. Rafa Benitez’s side are interested in adding the 26-year-old Dutchman in a separate deal to Lucas Digne’s move to Birmingham.
Steven Gerrard is willing to see both Trezeguet and El Ghazi leave Villa Park over the winter as he stamps his mark on the squad that Dean Smith had built. He feels the Villans have the potential to challenge for European qualification this season with the right deals agreed.
After adding Digne, Gerrard hopes Aston Villa can sign a new defensive midfielder, centre-half and potentially a backup goalkeeper. He has already signed Philippe Coutinho on loan.
According to Sky Sports, Digne is near to following Coutinho to Birmingham after Everton agreed a £25m fee. His switch is not linked to the Toffees’ interest in El Ghazi, however. BBC Sport also note they would rather sign El Ghazi on loan, but Villa are chasing £15m.
Aston Villa open to Trezeguet leaving with Everton target El Ghazi in January
Aston Villa may end January without Everton target El Ghazi or Trezeguet with the Egyptian also available for a transfer. But the winger’s involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations may yet impact Gerrard’s chances of moving on the 27-year-old.
Trezeguet earned his 48th Egypt cap on Tuesday as Nigeria beat Carlos Queiroz’s side 1-0. The Villans forward started the AFCON tie and played 58-minutes of the Group D opener.
Egypt will try to bounce back against Guinea-Bissau and Sudan to progress to the knockout phase. Otherwise, Trezeguet could return to Aston Villa after January 19 and begin making more definitive steps toward sealing a transfer.
The winger has 18-months remaining on his £47k-a-week contract signed after joining from Turkish club Kasimpasa for £8.75m in 2019. But Trezeguet has rarely played for Aston Villa this season, with the transfer-listed ace featuring just once across all competitions.
Gerrard gave Trezeguet his term debut against Brentford on January 2 before jetting off to AFCON. He had missed the start of the season after injuring his anterior cruciate ligament in April. The blow also kept him out of Smith’s final games in charge, who was full of praise.
“He came back in and showed us what he’s all about,” he told VillaTV after beating Arsenal in November 2020. “He’s very important. His running numbers are incredible. Tactically, he’s got so much better.”
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