Could Aston Villa be about to sign their answer to Manchester City’s £47.5m Premier League winner?
Aston Villa have spent almost £40 million buying two centre-halves in the last week.
Tyrone Mings returned from Bournemouth for a club-record fee after starring on loan under Dean Smith last season while Ezri Konsa has also joined after one excellent season at Brentford.
But the Midland giants are not finished there. According to L’Equipe, Belgian defender Bjorn Engels could also be on his way to Villa Park with the Premier League newcomers apparently in advanced negotiations to sign him from Reims.
The 24-year-old only recently signed a permanent deal with Reims after an impressive loan spell but it seems that the former Club Brugge and Olympiakos man could be on the move again.
But what can Aston Villa expect from Engels, who seems very close to becoming the latest new addition in a tremendously busy summer for Dean Smith and co? Well, the fact he compares himself to one of the best ball-playing centre-halves in Europe suggests he would have few problems adapting to Smith’s possession-based style.
“I recognise a bit of myself in John Stones,” Engels told Proximus Talk in 2016. “(I’m) similar in height, in stature, and also a defender who’s looking to play the ball out from the back.
“I look at him when he’s playing. What’s he doing? How is he positioning himself on the pitch.”
Now, L’Equipe has not made it clear how much Aston Ville will need to pay for Engels but you can imagine he’d be a damn sight cheaper than the £47.5 million Manchester City paid Everton to bring Stones to The Etihad Stadium back in the summer of 2016, as reported by the BBC.
If Engels really does possess the same passing range and ability to start attacks from the back, Dean Smith might just be the perfect manager for him to work under.
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