Aston Villa have agreed personal terms with World Cup winner Marcos Acuna but a deal could still collapse as Sevilla demand a minimum of £8.5 million from the Premier League outfit.
If reports are to be believed, Aston Villa see Marcos Acuna as a replacement for Lucas Digne. The latter has attracted attention from clubs in Saudi Arabia, and could still be on his way out the door over the coming weeks.
If Sunday’s 4-0 obliteration of Everton is anything to go by, however, Aston Villa may be better served devoting their energy to keeping Digne, rather than signing a replacement.
Against his former employers, the France international produced perhaps his finest performance in claret and blue. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, watching on after yet another injury, could only dream of being supplied with such a steady stream of inch-perfect deliveries from the flank.
Aston Villa remain in Marcos Acuna discussions
La Colina de Nervion reports that Aston Villa have agreed personal terms with Argentina international Acuna. Agreeing terms with Sevilla, however, is proving to be a far more difficult task.
The Europa League winners want a minimum of £8.5 million. Given that Acuna turns 32 in October, and therefore possesses very little re-sale value, Aston Villa may have reservations about stumping up such a fee, especially considering that Acuna could find himself on the bench once Alex Moreno – so impressive since his January arrival from Real Betis – returns to full fitness.
Sevilla president Pepe Castro has admitted that Acuna – who featured in Argentina’s victory over France in December’s World Cup final – may be sold if the price is right.
Coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, however, could do without speculation surrounding the future of his key players. Especially with Acuna’s fellow full-back Gonzalo Montiel already on his way to Nottingham Forest for £9.4 million (Daily Mail).
“It’s uncertainty. Until September 1, you don’t know what can happen, and it’s a shame,” Mendilibar fumes, via El Desmarque “I’ve said it 40,000 times. I don’t understand how (the window) is set up like this. But it is what it is, period.
“We don’t know which players are going to stay. Last season, I said that I had some good footballers and that I wanted those good footballers to stay.
“They talk to the players before they do with the club. They reach agreements with the player before they do with the club. Given that, it is very difficult.
“A player with a two-year contract; they are messing with him and there are things that I don’t understand.”
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