Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth has indicated he may be interested in securing a permanent move to Villarreal this summer, telling El Periodico Mediterraneo the La Liga outfit is a “very nice club”.
Well, we know how Unai Emery feels about the situation.
“Would I like to keep him? If it were up to me, yes, I would keep him,” the Villarreal boss told AS a fortnight ago when asked whether he’d be keen to turn Foyth’s loan deal into a full-time switch.
The Argentina international has a £14 million option-to-buy clause in his contract.
Whether the Castellon club can afford to pay such a fee – one that would make Foyth the seventh most expensive signing in their history – remains to be seen.
And while the former Estudiantes youngster wasn’t quite as bullish as his manager when asked about a long-term stay at the Estadio de la Ceramica, Foyth is clearly not against the idea of donning that bright yellow shirt in 2021/22 and beyond.
“It is a very nice club, but staying is not up to me,” says the 23-year-old, who Emery also tried to sign during his time at Paris Saint-Germain.
“The only thing I can do is give everything on the pitch so the team does well. Here the language has helped me a lot when it comes to integrating into the group, getting to know the city.
“Spain is an incredible place.”
A right-back or centre-half by trade, Foyth has impressed in a new-look midfield role since the turn of the year, helping to set up one of Villarreal’s goals in the recent 2-1 victory over Cadiz with a glorious diagonal pass.
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