Everton and Nottingham Forest are keen on the £15 million-rated VFL Wolfsburg ace Aster Vranckx but Crystal Palace are the only Premier League outfit to progress with talks as things stand.
EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey
HITC understands that a Crystal Palace side who have made a rather busy start to the summer transfer window are now also pursuing a deal for a midfielder who, not so long ago, was viewed as one of the most promising in European football.
Aster Vranckx’s career has stalled in recent seasons, however. The seven-time Belgium international featured only 10 times on loan at AC Milan in 2022/23 and managed just 12 Bundesliga starts for Wolfsburg last term.
Now, with only 12 months left on his contract at the Volkswagen Arena, HITC understands that Wolfsburg would be willing to cash in for a fee in the region of £15 million.
Crystal Palace lead race for Aster Vranckx
Everton and Nottingham Forest are both long-time admirers. The Toffees and Forest reportedly pursued Vranckx before he moved to the San Siro back in 2022, the East Midlands outfit submitting a bid at the time, per L’Equipe.
HITC have been told that, two years on, Everton and Nottingham Forest are still in pursuit of the one-time KV Mechelen wonderkid. So too are Fulham, and a Brighton and Hove Albion outfit who may yet lose talismanic playmaker Pascal Gross to German giants Borussia Dortmund.
It is understood, however, that the only club to progress in discussions as things stand are Crystal Palace.
Talks have been held with The Eagles, via intermediaries. And Wolfsburg are ready to do business should Palace stump up an offer that meets their asking price.
Crystal Palace have already signed Chadi Riad from Real Betis and Daichi Kamada from Lazio.
Kamada worked with Selhurst Park boss Oliver Glasner previously, winning the Europa League title together with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.
Glasner and Vranckx, however, narrowly missed out on the chance to share a dressing room. The latter left Wolfsburg for Frankfurt in the same summer as Vranckx crossed the border from Belgium into Germany.
Former AC Milan man has a point to prove
Still only 21, Vranckx’s early career might not have lived up to it’s initial promise but he still has plenty of time to turn that around. Palace have excelled in recent years when it comes to helping young players realise their true potential, from Ebere Eze to Marc Guehi and the Bayern Munich-bound Michael Olise.
Powerful and athletic at 6ft tall yet a fine technician and an impressive ball-carrier, Vranckx has made no secret of his admiration for former Tottenham Hotspur and Belgium playmaker Moussa Dembele.
“When I was young, but even now, I watched Moussa Dembele,” Vranckx told Tuttomercatoweb. “There are many good players but Moussa Dembele is one of those I have always looked up to with respect and admiration.”
“(He has) mentality, commitment, and certainly football ability,” former team-mate Igor de Camargo said during Vranckx’s formative days at Mechelen, insisting that the then-teenager was further ahead in his development than former Burnley star Steven Defour at the same time.
“He has it all to play in the Premier League or Bundesliga. Physically he is almost ready.”
HITC have also been told that Palace are eyeing up Antonio Nusa, Jack Clarke or Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto as potential Olise replacements.
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